Damaging ‘cruise’
Research conducted by “The American Journal of Public Health” shows that areas with more alcohol outlets experience a higher number of alcohol-related injuries and criminal activity. Sexual assault, domestic and youth violence, child abuse, homicides, alcohol-related crashes, and drunk driving sky-rocket when an increase in availability is sanctioned. A 2002 survey by “The National Traffic Administration” has revealed that, in America, an average of one person every 30 minutes dies as a result of an alcohol-related crash.
On Feb. 28, the Sun-Gazette published an article entitled “The Booze Cruise.” This item recounts the state Liquor Control Board’s intention to make liquor stores mobile and, thereby, increase the availability of wine and hard liquor in rural parts of our state. “The Booze Cruise” is just another way to profit by making alcohol easier to obtain. The result of this reckless notion will, ultimately, endanger even more lives, lead to even more underage drinking and waste even more tax money because of property damage and court hearings.
Just like the music from an ice cream truck, or the creatively adorned Book-Mobile, this “liquor store on wheels” would attract a great deal of attention from children of all ages. If Pennsylvania is going to start promoting alcohol use as it does library books, then, just as we encourage reading, let’s start telling young people how “cool” it is to drink. It is just too bad that, in the long run, “The Board” will have a very difficult time providing that exposure to alcohol is as beneficial as exposure to the written word. Every year, police officers visit schools and warn teenagers of the effects of drinking alcohol and driving, but aren’t America’s youth going to wonder why, then, our state is taking this life-threatening substance on the road?
Kristen Miller
Williamsport
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memememe2
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05-17-08 3:24 PM
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Controlling the sale of substances is usually futile. Controlling human behavior with punitive measures (such as laws against DUI) is often undermined by the authorities charged with enforcing the law. I don't think the Commonwealth should be in the liquor business, and I don't think that DUI legislation works very well, either. It's a problem that humans haven't been able to solve for as long as there have been substances for humans to use and/or abuse.
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tellthetruth
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05-16-08 10:10 PM
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nobud74, that is how liberals converse. The liberals know that areas with more liquor outlets have more population, which means more liberals in one area, which means more crime due to liberal idiolgy. So the liberals side step the actual conversation and spin it to something else.
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nobud74
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05-15-08 8:34 PM
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Boy this one sure skidded sideways! How did we get from selling alohol in a van to revitalizing downtowns? Intersting, though
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gavinf56
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05-15-08 1:33 PM
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Here is a town about the same size as Williamsport. They have fully revitalized their downtown, building around several financial buildings and the BancorpSouth arena (sound familar?). It is thriving and most of the old storefronts are occupied thanks to the vision of their Main Street Association. w ww.tupelo.n et/
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Anna77
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05-15-08 1:15 PM
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I just looked at it again- EEEK! Our williamsport website looks like the website for a manufacturing company or a BANK! boring...
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Anna77
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05-15-08 1:09 PM
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John: Facts are facts- the big box stores and the Lycoming Mall are bleeding our town. People come in on First Fridays, for events at the Community Arts Center and parades- 4th of July brings the most people into our town. Look at the Williamsport web sites- these are some of the first impressions that people will get: the websites are VERY DULL. Think of the buildings along the beltway that face the highway- SOME HAVE BOARDED UP WINDOWS, they're in disrepair- these are things that people first see.
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JohnHilfirty
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05-15-08 12:31 PM
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Will do, Snoopy. Thanks.
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JohnHilfirty
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05-15-08 12:30 PM
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Anna; Deep Ellum is a different type of venture than our center city, in a lot of ways. I know of many "build it and they will come" type ventures which would be successful if built near a city with millions of people in or around it. Shane had said on a different thread that "there were many cities the size of Williamsport that had successfully revitalized their downtown." I though he was serious and knew this to be a fact. It turns out to just be uneducated opinion. Wilkes Barre is not the size of Williamsport, and there is only short term, inconsistent and unproven success. Deep Ellum, by the way, appeared to be working but that seems to have failed again, after the millenium. Many of the businesses failed and are gone, since 2000. (Even with a huge population base like Dallas.) I haven't found many comparable downtowns that have been successfully revitalized. Malls have been the trend since the 1970's. I don't see it happening in Williamsport.
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Snoopycat
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05-15-08 12:14 PM
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JohnHilfirty. Check out Frederick MD as an example what can be done if a city wants to revitalize it's downtown.
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shane3232
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05-14-08 8:36 PM
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John I would use Downtown Wilkes-Barre as a good example of revitalization. They built a cinema theater and many other retail stores and have had great success in doing so.
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pepsi123
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05-14-08 1:02 PM
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I lived in California for about 4 years. Private entities controlled the liquior, which is sold in every 7-11 and grocery store. The laws are much more harsh with DUI's and alcohal related crimes. IT WORKS!
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Anna77
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05-13-08 11:37 PM
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John: check out Deep Ellum in the outskirts of Dallas. It's an interesting project in a warehouse district that was over run with crime.
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JohnHilfirty
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05-13-08 8:10 PM
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Shane: And the point is? Hey, while I have your attention, I've been trying to get you to tell me the name of some of these towns you speak of that have been able to revitalize their downtown shopping areas. I'd like to review them and see how they were able to do so.
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Stella1
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05-13-08 6:55 PM
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I agree with Albert also. It sure seems like a conflict of interest. It almost seems like the DEA should sell drugs.
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shane3232
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05-13-08 6:42 PM
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JohnHilfirty 05-13-08 1:44 PM »Report Abuse Ironically, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has two chief goals: 1. The LCB is responsible for controlling and limiting the consumption of alcohol by the adults of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania I form of control that I think is wrong. Pa is way over controlled by all these groups who think they owe it to us, please. Same with religion, nothing more than a form of controlling the masses.
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Anna77
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05-13-08 2:34 PM
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Albert: I agree.
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JohnHilfirty
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05-13-08 1:44 PM
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Ironically, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has two chief goals: 1. The LCB is responsible for controlling and limiting the consumption of alcohol by the adults of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2. The LCB is responsible for promoting the sales and distribution of alcoholic beverages to adults in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The two duties are diametrically opposed it seems to me. I have no dog in this fight, since I don't drink except for a glass of wine with dinner at Thanksgiving and Christmas as a custom.
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lowkey
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05-13-08 10:33 AM
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I am sure that the boozemoblie will be painted with bright, primary colors and incessantly play "Ring Around the Rosey" as is patrols rural school yards. Alcohol isn't the problem, irresponsible people are the problem. Perhaps folks in rural areas will be more inclined to stay home and drink their liquor (instead of driving home from the bar at 2 am after drinking all evening) if they have an alternative to the local tavern.
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Albert62
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05-13-08 4:27 AM
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Personally I don't think the Commonwealth should be in the Liquor business. Their involvement should be enforcement only, and the sales should be given over to private entities.
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