On 6/18/03 10:39 PM, "List Manager" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> He's abstained on all liquor license votes as a partner in a > distributorship; colleague Gary Schiff, who opposes neighborhood 2 a.m., > calls for Benson to abstain on this vote as well. > > The city's ethics officer says Benson is ok. What do you think? I think the ethics officer is right. If Benson were pushing a downtown-only extension of bar closing times, then there might be a problem if his distribution company were found to supply primarily downtown establishments. But if he's seeking the same opportunity for all bars citywide, then there's no conflict. I think Gary Schiff and other council members who are "horrified by the possibility that bars and restaurants...in [their] ward[s] might sell liquor until 2 a.m." should look at the statement made by Matthew Lamphear, owner of Molly Quinn's on Lake Street. He has no plans to change closing time at his bar, even if the opportunity to close an hour later is offered. He says it's because he doesn't think bars should inflict later hours on nearby residents, but my guess is that many other bar owners will do the same, simply because there just isn't enough business on most nights to keep the staff around for an extra hour. Those who have problem bar owners in their neighborhoods should be calling for those owners to have their on-sale licenses revoked, not calling for a two-tiered bar closing schedule in Minneapolis that will likely cause bigger headaches from the "downtown rush" after the neighborhood bars close than what some residents are dealing with now. My guess is it would only take making an example out of one or two bar owners before the rest of them take notice and start making changes. Mark Snyder Windom Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
