OPINION & EDITORIAL
Disbarred
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Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:
- A security fee-for-all (December 11, 2007)
- Farewell, Chancellor (December 10, 2007)
- $$FC (December 6, 2007)
- In a bind (December 5, 2007)
- Entitlement Town (December 4, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Density plan dense, indeed (January 18, 2007)
- The verdict is in (September 24, 2007)
- Alcohol plan would be a sobering mistake (September 13, 2007)
- Keep downtown on tap (September 26, 2006)
- Justice on tap (October 8, 2007)
by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Monday, September 17, 2007
Tomorrow evening, the Madison City Council will consider passing a law to ban all new bars or liquor stores from opening in the downtown area.
We object to the Alcohol Licensing Density Plan on a number of levels, and we urge all members of the City Council to vote "No," not least of all because the plan is fundamentally counterproductive to its noblest goal: making Madison a safer place.
Supporters of this decidedly anti-business piece of legislation seem to agree there are simply "too many bars" in the downtown area. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has spoken of a daily bar time exodus — waves of intoxicated students rushing out onto the city streets — which he says creates a perilous safety situation for his police department to manage.
We too are concerned about safety in Madison and agree bar time can be particularly problematic. But we totally reject what seems to be an unstated premise in the density plan argument: that fewer bars downtown means fewer people in Madison will consume alcohol.
If this plan becomes law, we believe one of two things will happen. Either the same number of people will head out to the bars — resulting in more overcrowding and doing nothing to alleviate the safety problem — or, tired of long lines, more people will instead frequent unregulated house parties, which means more overconsumption and less public visibility.
Moreover, talk of "too many bars" does little to convince us that a city ordinance restricting the freedom of business owners and consumers is a wise policy. Safety concerns aside, if there are, in fact, too many bars in Madison, some of them will go out of business. If, on the other hand, there is actually a demand for more bars in Madison, this plan could prolong empty storefronts in the downtown area, where a new taxpaying tavern might otherwise be happy to move in.
While advocates of this plan are undoubtedly concerned over safety and crime, we cannot help but think an anti-alcohol, anti-bar sentiment is partly to blame for the continued support for this deeply flawed proposal. For better or worse, the people of downtown Madison — many of them UW students — enjoy gathering with friends for a few alcoholic beverages at local bars. If the City Council is going to infringe on the market for this service, the desire to eradicate crime or promote safety is not a satisfactory enough reason — the plan has to work, too.
Anonymous (September 17, 2007 @ 9:22am):
Thanks Nanny State, it will surely be impossible for college students to drink now.
Anonymous (September 17, 2007 @ 10:44am):
That's exactly the point. They wont stop drinking. They'll just do it at houseparties.
Anonymous (September 17, 2007 @ 11:08am):
Let's see if this "Badger Herald Editorial Board" statement has as much impact as all the ones published last year in regards to the amendment to ban gay marriage. lol.
Ryan Stibbe (September 17, 2007 @ 12:31pm):
Exactly. If they can't go to the bars to get alcohol, they will go to the houseparties. And, if safety is really the council's concern, they would want the students to stay away from the houseparties. You are far more likely to pass out, get into a fight, or otherwise dismember yourself and/or a relationship at a houseparty than at a bar. For the sake of safety: keep the bars. If anything, crack down on the houseparties more.
Anonymous (September 17, 2007 @ 12:52pm):
in all fairness that was a state wide issue and nothing the little liberal bubble of madison will ever have an effect on that one.
This issue however it is POSSIBLE to have an effect on it. Will it, who knows. But the density arguement does have one valid point: look at Halloween - there wasn't shoulder to shoulder drunk people from the capitol to the bookstore - and no riots.
Anonymous (September 17, 2007 @ 10:29pm):
shout out to joel plant
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