Georgia is the last state in the South that forbids the sale of alcohol on Sunday. Last year, after numerous failed attempts, an initiative ended up on the ballot that would do nothing more than allow each local jurisdiction to vote on, and act upon, the matter. So, for example, the city of Roswell could put the issue of Sunday booze sales in front of the voters so that they could decide the issue.
That initiative passed, but not without the usual opposition from conservative church leaders and liquor store owners. The first group wanted to preserve that last of the old Sunday blue laws - “It’s the Lord’s day; keep it special!” - and the second wanted to avoid the necessity of staying open seven days a week to compete with supermarkets and warehouse outlets.
Even the Governor weighed in with a bullshit argument: “If you want to drink on Sunday, you should plan ahead.”
What a stupid restriction. You can buy alcohol at any licensed restaurant or bar after noon on Sunday, but you can’t buy a bottle of schnapps at the local Booze-Right for home consumption. Which alternative is more likely to put you on the road with a load on?
For those who argue that “it’s just one day a week,” I would say, “Why?” Why not restrict alcohol sales to a thirty-minute period immediately after sundown on Saturday? It makes the same amount of sense and is just as arbitrary and ridiculous.
Yesterday, numerous localities tossed the matter in front of the voters... and, with perhaps a single exception, overwhelmingly voted in favor of Sunday package sales. Overwhelmingly, as in 70% or more for, less than 30% against. Color me shocked. (Not really.)
Our little corner of the world did not vote on the matter, so we will live with the status quo ante for the time being. But it’s only a matter of time before the local merchants get tired of losing business to the stores in Roswell and Alpharetta just up the road.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
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2 comments:
That's nothing. Where I come from, liquor was legal and beer was outlawed, but one could buy liquor only in package stores, but they weren't the State ABC variety. Could not get a bottle in grocery stores or by the drink in a restaurant. But most restaurants would do the setup thing. Been that way since WWII. Dixie Mafia and such. So folks traipsed up to the TN State Line and bought beer and carted it the 5 minutes back to MS.
Every few years, the beer sales issue would be put to a vote. Never passed. Churches and the like went after the matter like rabid dogs on the only cat in the county.
Then the sale of beer passed. Ironically the tards didn't read the fine print. For as sure as they voted beer in, they also voted the liquor out.
Funny stuff, those blue laws and liquor laws county to county in the South.
Andy
www.frumund.us
I got so used to being able to buy anything, anywhere, anytime in the Chicago area, it was a huge shock to the system to move out here to podunckville MA. Stores close early, some aren't open on weekends! And alcohol only at liquor stores? You mean I can't buy a bottle of wine to use when making dinner unless I drive out of my way to another store? Yeah that's the way it is here.
Not too long ago they tried to get the law changed so beer and wine could be sold at grocery stores... this brought out the Chicken Little Nannies telling us that all the teens in the state would soon be illegally buying booze at the grocery stores and killing themselves on the roads...
*sigh* I hate living in such a backward state. Now, if they do start selling alcohol on Sundays, GA might be an okay place to retire. ;-)
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