Petition seeks alcohol, beer vote in Union alcohol

6/8/2008 6:55:38 AM
Daily Journal

By Errol Castens
Daily Journal Oxford Bureau
NEW ALBANY - In 2008, Mississippi officially still exists under Prohibition: By default, any beverage containing alcohol is illegal unless voters specifically act to legalize it.

After nearly a year of debate on www.newalbanytalks.com and decades of discussion in venues from coffee shops to churches, the issue may come to a vote later this year. Petitions now are being circulated to put the issue on the ballot. Petitions are circulating to put on the ballot a measure to legalize wine and liquor countywide (but whose sale is restricted by state law to municipalities) and another measure to legalize beer within the city of New Albany.

Folks are squaring off over the issue. Union County United for Progress is promoting a vote on legalization with petitions at area businesses and on its Web site, www.unioncountyunited.com.

"Now that the other side has come out publicly, we're going to have to come out in opposition," said Gene Taylor, treasurer of Citizens for an Alcohol-Free County, which ran a number of anti-alcohol newspaper ads in March, when the issue had reached a crescendo.

"One of the things we plan to do is to put facts and figures out about alcohol," Taylor said. "We don’t plan to answer everything the other side does."

Economic, moral arguments
Arguments for legalization range from the possibility of attracting new restaurants to the tax revenue that New Albany and Union County lose when their residents buy alcohol in restaurants or stores in wet cities such as Tupelo or Oxford.

"Why don't you do a 10-year study on Oxford before they went wet?" suggested "Jenny," a newalbanytalks.com blogger. "I think you will see for yourself the development and sales revenue growth."

Mary Russell owns Sugaree's Bakery on Bankhead Street in New Albany. While she won't sell beer alongside cinnamon buns and cakes, she supports legalization.

"I think it's great for downtown, great for economic development, and since I own a business downtown, I'd be for it," she told the Daily Journal. "I just think we need better restaurants, especially downtown."

Opponents often cite the possibility of increased crime and other social ills.

"Yep, there will be lots more money spent, at our local hospital, a lot more money spent to keep New Albany beautiful, a lot more money taken in fines and bonds being posted, a lot more money going to the wrecker services," wrote a blogger identified as Terry Dowty. "In a nutshell, we already have, way too many alcohol-related problems that we face each and every day. The broken homes, the cases of domestic violence."

Others counter that, saying beer and liquor are already widely present.

"There would be no more crime than exists here already," wrote a blogger identified as Will Neely. "I mean lets (sic) get real it is dry here but there is more alcohol in this county than people will admit.”

Union County Sheriff Tommy Wilhite told the Daily Journal he opposes legalization.

"I'll have to put on more deputies. It's going to make your taxes go up," he said. "Somebody's going to have to prove to me where it's going to benefit me and my department."

Many opponents of alcohol also cite spiritual reasons for their opposition, including Proverbs 20:1, that says, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Several bloggers have argued over the finer points of whether Jesus made wine or grape juice.

For Pastor Rick Blythe of New Albany's First Baptist Church, it's simpler than parsing verses.

"Based on biblical principles and moral principles, I think what happens when alcohol is legalized is a moral issue," he said.

Settle the issue?
Alcohol legalization supporters are not the only ones eager for a vote on the issue. Even some who say they don’t drink and wouldn’t vote for legalization want to see the issue voted either up or down. If an election defeats the legalization effort, it will be two years before it can be raised again. A turndown of beer requires a five-year waiting period before another vote can be held.

"We're promoting a vote to exercise our constitutional right as Americans to allow the people to decide. This is neither for nor against alcohol,” said a spokesman for Union County United for Progress, who asked not to be identified.

Blythe said he doubts that claim of neutrality but intends to oppose even bringing the issue to a vote.

"I hope there's enough people that don't sign the petition that it doesn't get on the ballot," he said.

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