When I lived in San Francisco I remember how much I
liked being able to go to the corner grocery store and
pick up a bottle of wine for dinner. The
circumstances of the neighborhood I lived in there
were completely different than the neighborhood I live
in now.
In an inner-city neighborhood the impact is completely
different. Liquor establishments in my neighborhood
generally cater to those who are repeat customers.
Many of these repeat customers have a tendency to
purchase cheap fortified wines and then head for the
nearest park, school yard or bus stop to consume them.
The neighborhood deals with the behavior the
drunkenness brings. There have been repeated attempts
by neighborhoods throughout the city to encourage
their local liquor stores to stop selling these types
of beverages. These attempts have been in vain for
the most part.
It is for this reason that residents in Phillips voted
to spend nearly 1/2 million dollars to buy out Snyder
liquor store. It is for the same reason Northwestern
University in Elliot Park spent a tidy sum to buy the
building Little Judges was in. It is for that reason
that I personally took 3 days of my vacation time to
organize against the location of a liquor store at
Lake and Grand in the old Cheapo site and paid for the
flyers myself. The site is 2 1/2 blocks from the
Whittier School/Park site.
The corner stores in my neighborhood currently sell
3.2 beer. I have personally witnessed the sale of
beer to people already inebriated. I have picked up
more cans and broken bottles off my yard, sidewalk and
boulevard than I care to count. (My house is about
100 feet from a corner store)I would venture a guess
that if corner stores in my neighborhood were allowed
to sell wine, because of limited space, they would
choose a product that would produce higher volume
sales. I can almost guarantee you that it wouldn't be
the latest merlot or the new cabernet you'd be finding
at my corner store. It would be the wild irish rose,
mad dog or cisco.
One of the news channels did an undercover sting on
liquor stores that sell to minors. I believe it was
more focused on the home delivery portion of these
businesses. At any rate, there appeared to be a high
volume of sales to minors. How would the city even
begin to monitor this problem with so many
establishments throughout the city. I wonder how they
do it now with the 3.2 beer sales.
It is for these reasons that I applaud each and every
city council member who voted against allowing grocery
stores to sell wine. Thank You City Council. I will
happily get in my car and drive to the nearest liquor
store when I want a bottle of wine with dinner.
Barb Lickness
Whittier
Ward 6
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