I may be voting with the Baptists next week (on one issue)

[BOSSHOG]

Would appreciate your feedback

There will be a county proposal allowing alcohol sales (beer and wine now allowed.) The restaurant business is pushing for this; the churches are agin it. I tend to be against it, not for moral reasons, but I'd rather not have any more traffic in the area. Restaurants are just itching to swoop in and build. If we want to go to a chain restaurant we drive 30 miles down the road to Louisiana. Traffic around her is hellacious enough.

Guide me, counsel me, one way or the other.

[DURHAM D]

1. Vote for the alcohol sales - it may result in

highway improvements because the restaurant owners will demand it.

[BOSSHOG]

2. There ya go getting all rational on me

Thanks very much.

Surprisingly, I'm ready to vote like a machine on everything and every office except that one issue. I'm definitely undecided still on that one. The highway improvement though is an excellent point. Thanks again.

[Xeric]

3. All politics is local

On one hand there is the traffic, on the other hand the tax base would be increased. You need to decide which would be more beneficial. A better environment or potentially more money for infrastructure and schools. Tough choice.

[Book Lover]

4. Quick questions

Do you mean to say that no establishment or store can sell alcohol other than beer or wine in your county? Do the next-door counties sell it?

[BOSSHOG]

6. Currently

Restaurants in this county can serve Beer or Wine. The few bars in the county only sell beer and wine. The closest county in Mississippi allows alcohol sales. The Louisiana Parish 30 miles down the interstate allows alchohol sales. Our county borders the Louisiana state line.

[Book Lover]

11. So it's not a dry county, just no "hard liquor"....

Gee, I'm having a hard time justifying the prohibition of sale of a legal substance, but it looks like this is more a growth issue... Me, I personally would vote for allowing liquor sales, but I don't live there, and I don't know how strongly the sprawl is happening. Maybe it would be best to vote this down this year (and maybe vote it up next year) so see how the growth post-Katrina shakes out...

[Justitia]

5. I can tell you about our experience in our former area....

We had the same issue and we voted to allow sales. Some of our considerations (which may be different from yours):

- we wanted more restaurants (convenience, tax revenue, local jobs)
- we wanted more residential to enhance the image of a growing area, not stagnant or dying (former railroad town), families want restaurants, we want families to enhance our tax base
- the local alcohol commission sold "memberships" anyway, which was simply a way to collect taxes on people who wanted alcohol w/their meal

We had huge uproars over the debate (heavily Baptist area), it passed and in the end it turned out to not be a big deal. It was a positive thing and I think it helped erase the image of being an intolerant, backward area - which is what outsiders always think of areas where alcohol is banned (whether true or not).

Now ask me about the HUGE controversy over changing the school mascot!

[BOSSHOG]

7. Thanks to Katrina

our population has boomed (we have gotten alot of people moving from South Mississippi and South Louisiana.) Our tax base has been through the roof the last year. We are getting alot of highway improvements because of the population growth. Economically we are booming and we have a NASA site right down the road so there is some high salaried residents here.

Changing the school mascot? That would get me fired up. My high school mascot was the Bulldogs. I'd be fighting mad if any attempt were made to change that.

[Justitia]

10. about that mascot....

Original name: COONS

Revised name: RACCOONS

Frankly, I was relieved to see "FIGHTING COONS" come off our very prominent water tower - ha!

[karmaqueen]

8. Your town will change dramatically.

If you want growth, tax base, rising property values, traffic, and less green space vote to allow it. If you love your peace and quiet, low taxes on your property and are happy the way you are vote against it. We just had to move from our home of 30 years because of rapid growth. The tax value on the homes that were there went sky high. We did get a very good price for our land but if I could go back 5 years to our beautiful way of life I would give every penny back. We have friends going through the same thing right now. they moved when we did to a rural town to get away, now they have the vote on their ballot in their new town. Our growth was not just the drink issue but from investors buying the land but it will change none the less. It is a big decision, much higher property value if you sell, but along with that the higher taxes & headaches of growth.

[trof]

9. Get the bootleggers on yer side and you got 'er whupped.

In Alabama all you need is the famous Baptists-Bootleggers Coalition to crank up to keep a county dry.
Talk about politics making strange bedfellows.
And did I tell you about the gambling casinos and the christian coalition?
hee

[BOSSHOG]

12. I guess I'm rather selfish

I can have all the alcohol and gambling I want with just a short drive either to Gulfport or to New Orleans or elsewhere in Louisiana. I just don't know if I want it too close. And our county's tax base is fine and dandy right now.

[trof]

13. I buy my booze in FL.

About 30 miles away.
(Don't tell.)

Whiskey is very expensive in Bama.
And in FL I can get a case discount.
:-)

[BOSSHOG]

14. There is a liquor store right on the state line

in Louisiana. They also sell lottery tickets. The parking lot is always full of vehicles with Mississippi tags. Funny how the store is on the northbound side of the interstate on the way to Mississippi.