Saturday, September 27, 2008

South Siders find liquor license hard to swallow

PG on ineffective city government.
South Siders find liquor license hard to swallow: "When City Council passed legislation last year that limited the use of liquor licenses on East Carson Street, South Side residents, tormented by drunken noise and vandalism for years, thought they finally had a defense against its worsening.
I didn't think that. Think again.

I'm a South Side resident. I'm upset at the crap behavior of some who crawl our neighborhood too. But, from the get-go, I could tell that this approach was going to tank.

Wrenna Watson's statement as to the 'type of patron' for a place that has yet to open is very crystal ball. And, it might even be a slam dunk for 2008 award for the racial profile awards for all bureaucrats the world over.

Before the commission voted, Chairwoman Wrenna Watson said she had been to Khalil's and Ali Baba's, two restaurants similar to the one planned for East Carson, "and their type of patrons are not the type we are trying to inhibit on the South Side."

Problem: The type of establishment can't be judged with an application to the planning department.

Problem: All types of establishments have the potential of making matters worse. But, the establishment is not the real culprit. True, the beer from one tap down the street ends up on our front porch. But, it is transported by a guy or gal that should be punished.

The solution is to target the wrong doers.

Furthermore, there are a few dozen bars and taverns and salons and nightclubs that are sure to go out of business in the months to come. The market has exploded and a correction is in order. But, that's for the market to dictate, with the help of slots parlor license protection from the state police.

Once the slots parlor in Pittsburgh opens, we'll see some shrinkage in the number of bars in the South Side.

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