--- Phyllis Kahn
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Let there be at least one voice on this list raised
> in strong support of the wine in grocery stores
> bill. ... One of the big pluses
> is the encouragement of a kind of store that would
> be very welcome in the area. ...
Provided that the tax, inspection and licensing
requirements are the same, I see no reason that a
governmental unit favors one type of business over
another in selling a product.
Councilmember McDonald told us "grocery stores have
plenty of profit margin as it is. But small
businesses like Hennpin Lake and Lowry Liquors will be
driven out of business if wine is offered in grocery
stores." Every statistic I have ever seen shows that
the markup in the liquor business is much higher than
in the grocery business, many groceries have much
higher volume than nearly any liquor store. Even if I
accepted her statement, the city has no business
protecting one group of businesses to the detriment of
another.
CM McDonald also tells us "One is that the City has
the highest rate of non-compliance on alcohol checks
on 3.2 beer at convenience stores." We need to
enforce the law including fines and taking of licenses
from violators. Does she imply that we should take
other age-restricted products, such as tobacco
products, out of convenience stores (some sarcasm
applied)?
My expectation would be that if we allowed wine in
grocery stores, we wouldn't be finding it in
convenience stores but in the larger groceries,
Lund's, Cub, Byerly's, etc. Incidentally, like many
liquor stores, Lund's and Byerly's are locally owned.
The same is true of many SuperValu's that are owned by
local franchise holders.
I would also expect that a significant portion of wine
would continue to be sold at liquor stores that would
have a much better selection than the groceries.
Alcohol is over regulated. The Mpls Convention Bureau
would like to see later closing hours to better
compete with other cities for convention business. I
see no magic in our 1 o'clock bar close. If we didn't
require a specific closing time, bars would soon learn
at what time their customers left and it was no longer
profitable to be open.
There is currently being considered proposals to lower
the driving while intoxicated level to .08. If we are
going to seriously consider that, it gives us a chance
to look at all liquor regulation. If it�s easier to
buy the wine to take home, maybe it keeps the driver
off the road.
>From a consumer standpoint, it�s certainly more
convenient for the customer to be able to buy a
product as easily as possible.
Terrell Brown
Loring Park
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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