Research issue before casting alcohol vote
During the past couple of weeks I have heard quite a bit of talk about the upcoming vote on alcohol sales in Russellville.
After listening to the arguments of the people talking about the issue I have come to one conclusion, but before I give that to you I need to get a disclaimer out of the way.
I do not live in Russellville; I live in Florence. The upcoming vote will not have any impact on my life what so ever. As such I will neither support nor oppose the issue in this column.
I only hope to offer some food for thought as the citizens of Russellville prepare for an important vote.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I can offer the conclusion I have reached after listening to arguments.
The argument is based on hyperbole, which means people have not done enough research and they are only arguing the best and worst case scenarios.
Most of the arguments I have heard are designed to get people to vote no. I have heard that the crime rate will skyrocket and the court system will be flooded with drunk driving cases.
I have also heard how legalizing alcohol sales will doom future generations to bleak lives dominated by alcoholism.
The few people arguing in favor of alcohol sales have painted rosy pictures of a river of money flowing into Russellville to boost the city’s revenue and propel the schools to the top institutions of education in Alabama.
Neither of the above stated scenarios is true and it is unrealistic to think either would come to be.
I have always lived in communities — Huntsville, Auburn and Florence — with legal alcohol sales, and they are neither over ridden with crime nor rich with a revenue stream beyond belief.
Will legalized alcohol sales lead to an increase in drunk driving? Will legalized alcohol sales lead to an increase in revenue? Are there other advantages and disadvantages to legalized alcohol sales?
The answer to all of these questions is yes.
I worked at The News Courier in Athens before coming to The Franklin County Times. While in Athens, there was a vote to go from wet to dry.
As part of The News Courier staff I helped research what kind of impact legalized alcohol sales had on the community and what the impact would be if the voters decided to repeal alcohol sales.
The results were interesting.
Yes, there was an increase in drunk driving, but it was almost statistically insignificant.
Yes, there was an increase in revenue and the schools — both city and county — benefited greatly.
The thing that surprised me most about the legalized alcohol sales in Athens was the amount of industry it attracted.
There were several businesses that over looked Athens as a potential location before the city had alcohol sales. After legalizing alcohol sales, many of those businesses came to Athens and the surrounding communities.
The legalized sales not only brought in revenue from taxes on the alcohol, but also boosted the local economy through new business.
There are some drawbacks to legalized alcohol sales, however.
Yes, some people will become alcoholics. Yes, some teenagers will begin drinking before they are of legal drinking age. Yes, there will be some drunk drivers.
There are other considerations to take into account. While there will be revenue coming in, there is no guarantee on how that revenue will be spent.
What is the point of having extra money if it will be mismanaged?
Before deciding how you will vote, take some time to become an informed voter. Look at cities of similar size to Russellville that have legalized alcohol sales and see what kind of benefits and problems those towns have.
Don’t base your decision on what you heard from a friend. People opposed will paint a bleak picture and those in support will make legalized alcohol sales seem like the smartest move Russellville can make.
To these people the issue is black and white. With an issue like this voters need to realize the world is full of shades of gray.
Do your own research and vote based on what you feel is in the best interest of Russellville.
