You win this time but not next time

I used to live in Smyrna and know that you cant buy a bottle of wine or scotch or rum there and you have to drive alittle ways to Lavergne or the Boro. Well the measure to pass package stores failed last week but not by much. A citizen of Smyrna wrote in to the D.N.J and he is what he wrote and I will return with my thoughts afterwards.....



Those who were in favor of liquor stores in Smyrna thought we would be better off receiving the tax revenue from the liquor Smyrna citizens buy elsewhere (Murfreesboro, La Vergne and Nashville, etc.), instead of these places getting the revenue. The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce says that one liquor store in Smyrna would bring in $18,000. Each additional store would bring in less revenue.

Already alcohol is our nation's greatest drug problem, costing $190 billion a year (American Council on Alcohol Problems). Divide this by our population (300 million), and you have an average cost of $6.33 per person each year. Multiply this figure by Smyrna's population (33,000) and you have a yearly cost of $208,000. Package stores in Smyrna would have made it easier for our residents to get liquor, resulting in more drinking and more problems.

One child born with fetal alcohol syndrome, with serious birth defects, can result in costs exceeding $250,000. There are 50,000 such children born in the U.S. each year.

Hardly a day goes by that we do not hear about someone being killed by a drunken driver or as the result of domestic violence caused by drinking. Young people would have had more opportunity to drink and move on to harder drugs and overdose. Who can put a value on human life?

Steve Poole, the man most responsible for getting the package store referendum on the ballot, said he and his daughter wanted to operate a liquor store in Smyrna. Yet this man was convicted of a DUI just last year.

All citizens who want to join the celebration of keeping liquor stores out of Smyrna, and to make plans for the future, are invited to meet at the Rocking Chair Cafe in Gil's Shopping Center in Smyrna, Saturday at 9 a.m.

Keith Coleman

Chairman of COPS

(Citizens Opposed to Package Stores)

Mistwood Court

Smyrna

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Ok now that he has said his peace I want to remind him that people have to drive to get the bottles they want to drink and some do like to open the bottles and have a cocktail on the way home. this is called drinking and driving you fool. If there were stores in your town then people wouldnt be risking lifes of the other towns or cities. That is the only con I can think of with this measure. Now for the pros. I feel any revenue is good! If one store can bring in $18,000 a year then that is more money that your town didnt have, for schools, police, fire and whatever. Just because you dont drink dont try to run others lives and tell us what we cant have or can have in the towns we live in!!! This is one of my pet peeves...


I hate when people try to be Politically correct and try to be with the in crowd. Go and try to push your bible thumping crap on someone else because I dont want it pushed on me or others in the town! I will come by tomorrow morning at the rocking chair cafe just to crash your little party and I might even bring a bottle of boose with me and leave it on the table. The owner of the rocking chair cafe Georgia use to own georias place on hazelwood dr and yes it is a bar so you are so hipocritical...