investigators

And now, certain republicans want to challenge child labor laws as being "unconstitutional." Putting profits before people, once again.

At least these young people are willing to work.... The liberals would rather have adults collecting entitlements....

Nobody was forcing these teenagers to work, they were doing actual work for their paychecks, and they were learning the value of public services because they were paying for part of it and they were learning the value of their entertainment dollars because they were earning them as well. I struggle with child labor laws. On one hand they add a layer of protection for youth that adults don't enjoy, but on the other hand they penalize the youth by not allowing them to fully participate in a workforce if they chose. This is an area where there needs to be more than a blanket "this is right and this is wrong" statement. By the way, what is wrong with a teenager working in an area where alcohol is served? Even the age where it is ok is still below the legal drinking age. Young adults - I applaud you for your energy and willingness to work hard; employers - Some of you made honest errors I'm sure, but thanks just the same for hiring these young people; government - ???

Breaking child labor laws is a serious issue that has significant impact on our society. It deserves coverage including comments from company owners (more than just their formal responses to charges), perspective from agencies having an interest in the area, and maybe even comments from a victim. This "article" offers none of these. Cutting and pasting from the public record is not journalism. Shame on this newspaper for giving this "feature" space.

righteeeooo - At least these young people are willing to work.... The liberals would rather have adults collecting entitlements.... ----------- Not really. But entitlements will probably pay more than your greedy masters will if they have their way.

Having seen young people injured from their own unthinking actions I believe it is reasonable to require safety rules and very stiff penalties for those that risk and exploit children. HOWEVER, I also believe some of the barriers are artificial. Carrying alcohol to a table is not injurious - nor should a server, young or older, be afraid of what the drinking patron will do to them which is supposed to be the reason young can not serve. Detergents to clean and mop need be no more dangerous than I require my children to use at home. A job cleaning an employer's premises is no more dangerous than my home cleaning. I my lawnmower more dangerous than the one at a local business. Probably not, but the 12 year olds in my neighborhood cut the lawns while one must be 18 to cut the grass and weed & fertilize the garden in front of the hardware store. I want my kids to have a work ethic, for that they need to get little jobs they can do safely without excessive rules.

How is it the government's business deciding how old someone must be before they can work? Don't parents have something to say about that? And what's wrong with a teenager earning some money for themselves or to add to the family finances? It's shameful, the state looking into everybody's affairs.

What's wrong with ten year olds operating power saws and meat cutting equipment? Young hand only adds flavor to hamburger. And if the repubs have their way, there won't be any workman's comp either because it drags down the profits. So hire the young, maybe their fingers will grow back. Ya listening Michelle?

I used to live in a farming community. I remember an 8 year old boy that lost his arms up to the shoulders from getting caught in a grain auger. I know many other "kids" that lost fingers or "chunks" of skin or had broken bones. Allowing kids to work in all jobs is just plain "Republican".

leg620 - How is it the government's business deciding how old someone must be before they can work? ------------------ Because private sector has shown a pronounced inability to make common sense employment decisions. Prior to and during the great depression, child labor at less than equitable wage was a booming profit making business decision. And for a lot of American corporations, it's still a factor in choosing to send jobs overseas where child labor is still a lucrative and accepted practice. The bottom line is, private industry CAN NOT be trusted to police itself and employ fair business practices, fair wage or worker safety. All of those are bad for profits and if left to their own devices, private sector will abolish them with Republican help.