Desperate to find a solution to prevent future property-damage problems that have plagued Halloween in Madison for the past two years, Mayor Cieslewicz is looking for new, far more drastic ways to prevent these problems on Halloween weekend.

According to Cieslewicz, the solution with the greatest potential is to move last-call to around 11 p.m., while allowing the bars to remain open without serving alcohol until normal bar time.

Some ideas, like this one, are so bad that it is hard to even know where to start. This proposal is simply bad public policy.

In an interview this past Thursday, Cieslewisz revealed to the Badger Herald that he is willing to consider any option. While we applaud the mayor’s openness, we firmly believe this proposal lacks merit.

The mayor’s proposed solution would infuriate bar owners who most certainly do financially well on Halloween weekend. Students will also be outraged to not be able to drink at the bars after 11 p.m. (many do not even go out until around that time). Most importantly, though, an early last-call policy would have the opposite results of its intended effect.

Instead of seeing large crowds gather at 2:30 a.m., even more people will besiege State Street at 11:30 p.m. Students will not stay at bars if they are not serving alcohol, and bars will not want to stay open.

More students are still out at 11:30 p.m. than at 2:30 a.m., creating a larger crowd for police to control. An early bar time will also drive more students to house parties that will be spread throughout the campus area. This will result in less responsible oversight, which staff members at bars provide. It will also make the situation more difficult for police, who will have to worry about more disturbances on State Street and at more houses and apartments surrounding campus.

If the mayor would like to succeed in reducing the risks of unruly crowds, he should promote the opposite policies. In fact, Mayor Cieslewicz, Chancellor Wiley and PACE should join together to lobby the state legislature to abolish bar time in Madison on Halloween.

This ban exists on New Year’s Eve, and fewer problems exist relative to the event’s reputation. No longer would students feel compelled to drink to a certain hour, because bar time would never come. No longer will students who arrive at the bars at midnight or later feel like they have to hurry up because of the impending bar time. Eliminating bar time should also alleviate the police burden, as fewer students will be on the streets at 2:30 a.m. Instead, crowds will be more spread out, allowing the police to respond more quickly to other emergencies unrelated to the bars.

Bar owners should embrace this plan as well, since it allows them to choose their own hours. If a bar would like to close at 1 a.m. or 5 a.m. or even 9 a.m., so be it. The choice is theirs. Drink specials could be brought back without the threat of a ban because, again, no longer will students feel as compelled to chug a significant amount of alcohol in a short amount of time.

Solutions to the drinking and safety issues during Halloween and throughout the year need to be examined, but in the end, giving students more, not less, flexibility will result in safer evenings for all Madison residents. A greater chance of success at eliminating the drinking-related problems associated with Halloween and year-round should be everyone’s priority, and this plan could bring that elusive success.