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Friday, February 27, 2009
Public deserves last say on Sunday sales
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday diners at O’Charley’s Restaurant in Snellville occasionally try to order a glass of wine or a brew to accompany their meals. No dice.
Wait staff at the restaurant, located on Scenic Highway, have to relay the news: Restaurants within the city limits aren’t permitted to sell alcohol on Sundays.
To some customers, it’s a big deal, enough to make them go elsewhere. To others, it doesn’t matter so much. Nevertheless, “this happens all the time,” said Kenny Ohikhokhai, a manager who’s been with the franchise eight years. “We just tell them the obvious. All you can do is apologize and send them down the road.”
Down the road would be anywhere within a few miles’ radius of O’Charley’s. Like The Avenue Webb Ginn, a swanky retail/restaurant hub on the city outskirts. According to Mapquest, the complex is exactly 2.18 miles north of O’Charley’s.
Monday, the Snellville City Council rejected, by deadlock, an ordinance that would have allowed Sunday alcohol sales at local restaurants. Those in favor of the ordinance supported it for economic reasons. Businesses, they explained, are struggling. Help them out by letting them serve booze seven days a week. Those who didn’t cited morality.
At our state Capitol, a vote scheduled for Wednesday on whether to allow Sunday alcohol sales in stores never saw daylight. Get this — only two of 13 lawmakers showed up, so there wasn’t a quorum on hand to meet and consider Senate Bill 16 by Sen. Seth Harp. If adopted, it would allow local voters to decide if stores could sell beer, wine and liquor in communities.
It’s unfortunate that politicians — who support Sunday sales must do so, generally, under the auspices of economics — say that it’s good for businesses. Say that, in these dire economic straits, O’Charley’s could prosper from selling shots of whiskey on Sunday. Say that the state coffers could swell from the sales of six packs.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if Mr. Legislator had the wherewithal on this issue to stand on a platform of practicality and individual liberty? Wouldn’t it be grand if Mrs. Councilwoman politely questioned the logic of constituents who claim Sunday alcohol sales are an attack on their values?
What tends to happen with this recurring issue is this: Those who oppose Sunday sales, generally, raise up and organize. They show up in droves at city council meetings when the issue is to be discussed. (About 150 mostly anti-alcohol residents turned up for Snellville’s meeting Monday night). They rev up campaigns that target politicians, put the fear of God in them a la the Christian Coalition of Georgia, which has said it would include the issue in its political scorecard.
Which is why Georgia voters ought to be allowed to decide this issue themselves. In the ballot booth. Take the issue out of the hands of politicians too concerned about their public careers and the next election. Even if you disapprove of Sunday sales, you ought to have no qualms about voters deciding the matter.
Opponents of Sunday sales generally tend to defend their position based on faith, and in many cases, fear. They lament that DUIs and drunken crashes will astronomically increase on this one day. The sacredness of Sunday — which isn’t sacred for everyone — will be sacrificed. People will stop attending church, stop giving and start boozing. An additional day amounts to total destruction. What little faith.
Selective prohibition.
Legislation of morality.
They seldom work.
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