ATHENS, Ala., Aug. 14, 2007
Will Prohibition Come To Alabama City?
Athens, Ala., Will Vote On Whether To Ban Alcohol
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(AP / CBS)
A measure to end the sale of alcohol in Athens is up for a citywide vote, a rare instance where voters could overturn a previous vote to allow sales. Business interests are against repeal, but church leaders who helped organize the petition drive that got the measure on the ballot are asking members to pray and fast in support of a ban.
Christians who oppose drinking on moral grounds believe they have a chance to win, however small.
"If it can be voted out anywhere, it will be here because so many Christians are against it," said Teresa Thomas, who works in a Christian book store.
Business leaders argue that ending the sale of beer, wine and liquor would hurt tax revenues and send the message that Athens is backward. "Economic impact is really the big issue," said Carl Hunt, an organizer of the pro-alcohol sale Citizens for Economic Progress.
The United States went dry in 1920 after the 18th Amendment outlawed the production, transportation and sale of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed in 1933.
Now, less than four years after they first voted to legalize alcohol sales, the nearly 22,000 residents of Athens will decide whether to prohibit alcohol sales within the city, located about 95 miles north of Birmingham. Possession and consumption would remain legal.
Such "wet-to-dry" votes aren't unheard of, but they're rare, said Jim Mosher of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which tracks public policy issues including alcohol laws.
"In Barrow, Alaska, when they legalized alcohol sales, problems went through the roof," Mosher said. "Then, when they banned it again, it improved."
City Clerk John Hamilton didn't have an early estimate on turnout among the city's nearly 12,000 registered voters, but he said the turnout could be good based on the large number of absentee ballots cast before the polls opened.
"It's the alcohol issue that will bring the people out," he said.
Twenty-six of Alabama's 67 counties, including Limestone, where Athens is located, don't allow alcohol sales. Besides the Athens vote, residents of the southern Alabama town of Thomasville were to cast their ballots Tuesday on whether to legalize alcohol sales.
Regardless of whether Athens winds up wet or dry, a leader of the 138-year-old National Prohibition Party is glad voters have a chance to decide. Such issues rarely make it to the ballot any more, said attorney Howard Lydick, a member of the party's executive committee.
"The beer and wine industry has very good PR," Lydick said. "Those pushing (prohibition) have been pushed aside."
The Rev. Eddie Gooch feels good about the chances of ending alcohol sales in Athens, but he isn't taking any chances.
A leader of the petition drive, Gooch urged members of his United Methodist Church to pray and fast on election day and the two days leading up to it. Church volunteers have sent thousands of letters and made phone calls encouraging people to vote "dry."
Mayor Dan Williams said the city government is making nearly $250,000 in extra sales taxes directly tied to alcohol, and the city's schools get the same amount.
Besides that money, he said, overall tax revenues have grown since alcohol sales were legalized in January 2004 — an increase he attributes partly to alcohol sales.
An upscale Italian restaurant recently moved to Athens from the nearby dry city of Hartselle in order to sell alcohol, and Williams said other restaurants have arrived since it went wet.
"It's a big deal for a small town to get a new restaurant," he said.
Gooch isn't worried about the city losing businesses or tax revenues if alcohol sales are banned. Normal economic growth and God will make up any difference if residents dump the bottle, he said.
"We believe that God will honor and bless our city," Gooch said.
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It's called democracy.
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What is the point of banning it in one city when all they have to do is go next door to get it?
That would be just like banning guns in one state when all the rest still have them. Or like having a "gun free zone" when everybody and their grandma has one.
I'm not saying it shouldn't be done but unless the whole country does it, what's the point?
What they should do instead is collect money for the poor, and donate for the sick.
We should have learned this simple fact back in the 1930's.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
www.leap.cc
Go back to your caves, Taliban. You don't get to tell the rest of us how to live.
All this is going to do is cause every family that would have gone out to dinner in town and have a glass of wine with dinner (Wine... where have I heard something about xstians and wine...) to drive to a nearby town.
The religious freaks get their moral victory and the normal people lose a freedom.
Way to go deep south!
One side is semi-dry: Private clubs and restaurants only.
Recently it was put to a vote for the dry side to allow sales of beer and wine through grocery stores and convenience stores.
Since this would "rob" the wet side of some if not alot of business they invested, lobbied and fought the dry side on this issue. They also hired PR firms outside of the city to create a campaign against it. It did not pass, but the vote was so close it could've been a revote if it had been electing someone, less than 100 votes difference.
I hope they put it back on the ballot, I will vote for it again. I wish they could keep the other city/state out of our politics.
Why must there be so much hypocrisy?
-Posted by TerryONolley at 02:42 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Let's have a standing ovation for the liberals, paraders of "tolerance" and "diversity"!!!
It's called democracy.
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One side is semi-dry: Private clubs and restaurants only.
On another note, we have had 3 topless bars/clubs open here. One had no advertising and the girls had to wear pasties. It died.
One opened in a small town next to mine, they paid all the fees, got their liqour license, paid their adult entertainment permit fees...etc. Bought the property, built the club, decorated it, opened it and was doing a thriving business. The city then adopted an retroactive ordinance that no adult business can be within 1500 feet of church property. This was no problerm as no church property was. However, this church purchased some land to use for parking that was withing 1500 ft of the club, so it was closed.
-Posted by djpowles at 02:38 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Let's have another round of applause for the liberals, paraders of "tolerance" and "diversity"!!
Posted by mike71067 at 02:53 PM : Aug 14, 2007
You got something against this ????"
Posted by parrot2 at 02:55 PM : Aug 14, 2007
The comment I was referring to was loaded with INtolerance. My comment was sarcastic.
-Posted by three-o-six at 02:56 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Consumption of alcohol is not a problem; however, the irresponsible overindulgence, e.g., drinking until you're puking all over yourself and pisssing in the sink, passing out, and waking up next to a fat chick, IS a problem. I'm not in favor of prohibition - it doesn't work. You can't legislate morality. I'm simply anwsering your question.
-Posted by mike71067 at 02:53 PM : Aug 14, 2007
I agree 100%! The liberals have tolerance of all -except those religious freaks that want to force their morality on free men and women. And we enjoy the diversity that results when free people's behaviour isn't stifled by religious freak morality.
Great post mikey!
The article says local businesses claim " ending the sale of beer, wine and liquor would hurt tax revenues and send the message that Athens is backward." It's not CBS saying that, they are just reporting it!
I never understood why the Christian Right is against sale of alcohol, after all the bible says Jesus turned water into wine, not the other way around!
-Posted by Klingon69 at 03:03 PM : Aug 14, 2007
They invaded nobody's privacy. Those people were photographed in PUBLIC, and their license plates are PUBLIC information.
I guess they think Al Capone was a good person?
-Posted by TerryONolley at 03:05 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Another fine example of "diversity" and "tolerance" from the left!!! How do you feel about secular humanists shoving their beliefs down our throats (the ACLU, athiests trying to remove "God" from our pledge and our coins, homosexual activists forcing our public schools to tell our children that homosexuality is an acceptable "alternative lifestyle", etc.)? Are you against that also?
-Posted by parrot2 at 03:04 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Huh? Was that supposed to be funny? Perhaps it's that "British (aka "not funny") Humor" that I never understood. NPR features alot of it on their elite weekend shows.
-Posted by mike71067 at 03:10 PM : Aug 14, 2007
I feel they are just as wrong as the religious freaks trying to shove their hypocritical morality down our throats. The difference between you and me is that I want both sides to stop trying to force their beliefs and just let people live. You only want to stop progressive people. You constatnyl defend a single religion's right to impose their will on all people.
;-)
-Posted by TerryONolley at 03:16 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Sorry, but you're wrong. How could you possibly know what I want? I don't care who wants to shove their beliefs down my throat. I'm smart enough to know what information is good and what is bulllshit. And most "progressives" (love the name change - I guess "liberal" wasn't working well with average Americans anymore) are full of bulllshit. But they can keep on talking all they want. It's great entertainment!!!
Hahahaha,poor you. I guess you will just have to settle for smoking your pot.
-Posted by parrot2 at 03:27 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Sorry, but you're wrong. People can step out to get their booze, perhaps during a weekend shopping trip, then drink it when they get home. Stock up so that you won't have to make too many trips. That's what I would do.
Hahahaha,poor you. I guess you will just have to settle for smoking your pot.
Posted by erasmus6 at 03:33 PM : Aug 14, 2007
Yep, but like I said , one side is wet, one side is dry, just gotta drive across the stateline to get my beer, liqour, wine...etc.
-Posted by parrot2 at 03:57 PM : Aug 14, 2007
If I lived in that part of Alabama, I would seriously consider homebrewing. The beer would taste better, and you are legally allowed to brew lots of it per year - much more than most people can consume.
Anyway, I do not agree with this s h I t just for one reason: A religion should have any saying in this and they never should, they can make it against the law in their religion but not for others. They want to "vote" they should start by voting to get Bush of Presidency he killed so many soldiers fighting for oil NOW THAT'S AGAINST EVERYONE'S RELIGION.
Posted by SgtRDS at 03:16 PM
Well said, SgtRDS. Bravo!
If they truely fast this long they might be too weak to go to the polls to vote. Cheers!
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I think this statement is a little misleading. During prohibition, the federal government forced every community, state, city, and county, in the United States to go dry whether they wanted to or not.
I think there are probably a number of "dry" counties and communities it the county right now. Benton county (home of WalMart) in Arkansas is dry. People who live there drive to Washington county south, or north to Missouri to buy their booze. I do believe that private clubs can obtain a liquor license there, but I am not really sure about that.
The people in this community have an opportunity to vote on this issue and the majority will rule, so it is hardly like prohibition by constitutional amendment.
Posted by mike71067 at 03:04 PM : Aug 14, 2007
If someone drinks until they pass out what about that is hurting you or your so called morals. You religious types are the same....you claim to hold the high ground on morals but all you do is push your beliefs on others. And you comment on FAT CHICKS just emphasis' your discrimination toward anyone that does not agree with your limited view points.
Probably be less people in Church on Sunday morning if they get drunk in the next town over on Saturday night.
I wonder if the DUI rate will go up.
Every month when Christians have "communion" to honor their lord and savior with ritualized cannibalism, they drink wine or grape juice to symbolize his blood.
So, as long as you are pretenting to drink the blood of your god, it's OK to drink alcohol?
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by abbe91
August 15, 2007 3:23 PM PDT
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See all 48 Comments"We believe that God will honor and bless our city," Gooch said.
And then he reached for the bottle under the sink ...