House panel OKs Sunday sales bill (Buckhead: attorneys, schools, taxes)

[ATLHRLGUY]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

”Unfortunately, a lot of times we use allowing local control to punt a difficult issue down the road. ….When you read the [state] constitution, we are – at the state Legislature – supposed to have the task of regulating alcohol sales. We should make that decision, I believe, one way or the other, for the entire state.

“Using the cover of local control is taking a step toward being a referendum state. I don’t believe that that’s in the best interest of our state.”

The State Constitution provides the legal reason?

It seems to me that Sunday alcohol sales/by the drink were passed by local referendums. All I can get out of this is that GA must never become as Liberal as CA---or the other 46 states which allow Sunday sales, some of which are Red states. Fine, whatever.

I couldn't make out the point the state sen. was trying to make either, but the becoming liberal seemed the closest thing I could think to try to connect. Who knows.

While on this topic I just thought to look up silly laws that are still on the books.

Dumb Laws in Georgia. Crazy Georgia Laws. We have weird laws, strange laws, and just plain crazy laws!

There are some real doozies in there, thank goodness most of these aren't enforced. Columbus and Athens had/have some of the craziest ones.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by arjay57

These are your duly elected representatives. Don't you trust them to do the right thing? When they are ready for you to start buying booze on Sunday I am sure they will let you know.

There are tools you can use to find out if your representatives are actually voting in alignment with your own beliefs and values. One such tool is here:

Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting

[axemanjoe]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

There are tools you can use to find out if your representatives are actually voting in alignment with your own beliefs and values. One such tools is here:

Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting

I emailed Rick Jeffares and Andy Welch about this issue, haven't heard back from either of them. Rich Seabough was nice enough to exchange a few emails last year regarding the concealed carry bill, even though he is not my rep.

Update, just got an email from Andy;

Joe,


Thank you for your email. Right now the bill is in the Senate rules committee and hasn't made it's way to the House yet. If it does, I will probably not be in support. You took the time to give me your straight forward and honest opinion. Even if we disagree, the least I can do is be straight forward with you. I very much appreciate you letting me know your thoughts. Please continue to do so.


Andy Welch


I told him I was sorry to hear he was not going to support and that it would put GA in line with the rest of the country.

[Caleb Longstreet]

If you think these government folks are going to miss out on a tax windfall like this you are crazy. This is as good as it gets for sin taxes. Now folks can smoke AND drink right through the entire weekend....should make Monday morning traffic a bit more interesting.....personal injury attorneys, get ready....one more big feast before people put you on the bottom of the ocean once and for all.....

Wow. Sunday goes from a Coma to the 3rd best day for sales of booze and cigarettes. And while I enjoy neither I can see why the State is licking it's chops over this one. Christ, it's like a busy Friday night in Buckhead with some drunk hot chick singing the proverbial Georgia mating call: "I'm so druuuuuuuuuunk".......boooya!

A laid-off worker has a better chance of landing a dream job than this tax feast going fallow. No way. What better time to sell this than when everyone is on edge and miserable. The bars and Patel's convenience stores are going to have to work real, real hard to keep up! Hopefully, the Saturday night robberies won't keep anyone from their favorite coolers.

Couple this with the windfall in DUI's, lawyer fees and other general malfeasance and you can go this an economic recovery all by itself! Whoa! Makes Sunday drives all that much more interesting. Nothing like keeping folks livers swollen until Monday to take that edge off of them. If you are an employer you can have to move those proverbial Monday morning meetings back an hour.

Hey, look at the bright side. Most employees will be so worn out they won't be able to bark back when you ask them to do something for a change. And wouldn't THAT be nice. Espeically that broad at the front door. Like a Pit Bull without the leash. Just throw her a bagel or piece of meat or whatever else you have going stale at home and that ought to shut her up for a few hours.....

Stock up on the coffee. Boom days are ahead of us now!

[neil0311]

Caleb...and how is this any different than what we have now? Alcohol is legal on Sunday. You just HAVE to get in the car...and you HAVE to spend a lot more money...and you HAVE to leave the safety and comfort of your home.

For those who just do their grocery shopping on Sunday, it means no more having to stop off specially to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner or for a 12 pack. You can grab it while you're at the store. This probably won't increase tax collections....people are not going to necessarily buy more booze, but they can buy it when convenient.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Caleb...and how is this any different than what we have now? Alcohol is legal on Sunday. You just HAVE to get in the car...and you HAVE to spend a lot more money...and you HAVE to leave the safety and comfort of your home.

For those who just do their grocery shopping on Sunday, it means no more having to stop off specially to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner or for a 12 pack. You can grab it while you're at the store. This probably won't increase tax collections....people are not going to necessarily buy more booze, but they can buy it when convenient.

Again--47 other states seem to be coping pretty well with Sunday sales. Is it really possible that those who reside in the state of GA are of such weak moral fiber that they will not be able to control themselves?

Studies should be done to provide documentation. It would seem with an apparently large number of conservative Christians that sufficient restraint would be exercised. lol--Are our legislators worried that constituents will become Liberal--like CA?
If it ever gets to a referendum and I am given a chance I will vote 'Yes' --I am certain of that. I don't care for the parental attitude.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Caleb...and how is this any different than what we have now? Alcohol is legal on Sunday. You just HAVE to get in the car...and you HAVE to spend a lot more money...and you HAVE to leave the safety and comfort of your home.

For those who just do their grocery shopping on Sunday, it means no more having to stop off specially to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner or for a 12 pack. You can grab it while you're at the store. This probably won't increase tax collections....people are not going to necessarily buy more booze, but they can buy it when convenient.

I don't get all the claims that allowing Sunday retail sales of alcohol would increase tax revenues. I'm personally a devout Christian of one of the alcohol-friendly denominations (Episcopalian in my case) and a light drinker. We go through maybe a couple of bottles of wine or a half-dozen beers a month, at our house. Sunday sales wouldn't increase this rate of consumption. However, I disagree with the "blue law" as a matter of principle, and I'd find it slightly more convenient to be able to buy wine or beer on Sunday afternoons, when I sometimes do grocery shopping.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

Again--47 other states seem to be coping pretty well with Sunday sales. Is it really possible that those who reside in the state of GA are of such weak moral fiber that they will not be able to control themselves?

As I mentioned earlier...kind of hard to think that Alabama and South Carolina are full of sinners or big booze hounds, but they allow Sunday off premise sales.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

Again--47 other states seem to be coping pretty well with Sunday sales. Is it really possible that those who reside in the state of GA are of such weak moral fiber that they will not be able to control themselves?

Studies should be done to provide documentation. It would seem with an apparently large number of conservative Christians that sufficient restraint would be exercised. lol--Are our legislators worried that constituents will become Liberal--like CA?
If it ever gets to a referendum and I am given a chance I will vote 'Yes' --I am certain of that. I don't care for the parental attitude.

Very witty comments, TakeAhike!

This issue exemplifies the sad hypocrisy of many conservatives, who in my observation pay lip service to American devotion to "freedom" but in their actions show immense zeal for controlling the behavior of their fellow citizens to conform with their personal moral standards, preferences and prejudices. They try to whitewash this as "community standards" but it's freedom be damned, really.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

Very witty comments, TakeAhike!

This issue exemplifies the sad hypocrisy of many conservatives, who in my observation pay lip service to American devotion to "freedom" but in their actions show immense zeal for controlling the behavior of their fellow citizens to conform with their personal moral standards, preferences and prejudices. They try to whitewash this as "community standards" but it's freedom be damned, really.

We've discussed the issue pretty well here and I would hope it is being discussed as thoroughly in the legislature.