Gov. Andrew Cuomo is willing to bail out a startup shut down by government regulators: a young boy’s lemonade stand.
Cuomo in a statement on Tuesday called on the Department of Health to allow a Saratoga County boy’s lemonade stand remain open. The fiasco began this weekend, when a DOH worker, responding to complaints of vendors at the nearby fairground, ordered Brendan Mulvaney’s stand to close, citing a lack of permits.
The story has the hallmarks of a made-for-TV-national piece in a reelection year for the governor.
Cuomo is now willing to personally pay for the permit if necessary.
"Today I directed the Department of Health to reach a resolution with the Mulvaney family to ensure that Brendan’s Lemonade Stand can continue to operate,” Cuomo said. “If a permit is needed, I will personally pay for any necessary fees. We support Brendan’s entrepreneurial spirit and wish him the best of luck.”