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GREER — City Council on Tuesday passed the first reading of an ordinance by a 5-2 vote to let voters decide whether restaurants and taverns can sell alcohol on Sundays.
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Longtime Councilman Wayne Griffin and newly sworn-in Councilwoman Kimberly Bookert voted against the ordinance.
If the measure passes a second and final reading, a referendum will be placed on the Nov. 2 ballot. If passed, businesses that already sell alcohol for on-premise consumption will be allowed to do so during extended weekend hours.
Greer Station Association's downtown restaurant owners, hoping to bolster business by serving alcohol after midnight Saturdays and to Sunday diners, in April asked council to consider placing the special referendum on the ballot.
“This has been brought back before this group at my request so we can consider the question at hand. This issue is before the county council tonight as we speak,” Mayor Rick Danner said. “There are feelings in regards to allowing a referendum here in the city.”
Five of six speakers during the public forum segment of Tuesday's meeting entreated council to allow residents to vote on the measure, including lifelong Victor Mill resident Steven Carpenter.
“We should all be able to vote whether or not we want alcohol on Sundays,” Carpenter said. “Let us as citizens decide.”
The exception was a local minister who decried Sunday alcohol sales as being against God's word.
“Just go ahead and deny this referendum. People have to make money, but you're already selling it six days a week, which I oppose to begin with,” said The Rev. Johnson Paul, pastor of Peoples Baptist Church.
Another thing that really pisses me off about SC....too many bored people who have nothing else better to do with their time but take small things that are none of their business and make it a big issue. Then they try to control others behavior by using religion. The city/state should not be in the business of deciding what days a person can drink, what time liquor stores must close (liquor stores must close by 7:00 pm in SC). The stupid thing about it is so what you make dumb laws that prohibit people from drinking at certain times and days.....they will just purchase more alcohol on Saturday so that they will have enough to drink Sunday....nothing accomplished!
Classic example of backwards Mayberry (the good ole' boys & girls) doing everything to keep money from being made. Live and let live....let adults make their own choices. Religion should play no part in a business discussion about alcohol sales and should never be used as a tool to control people....God is the judge and jury not man.
Another thing that really pisses me off about SC....too many bored people who have nothing else better to do with their time but take small things that are none of their business and make it a big issue.
Sounds like your talking about Rev. Al Sharpton. I was happy to leave him behind in NY.
Democracy in action! A referendum is really the best way to decide something like this.
Why is it the best way? Why bother with a representative local government if those elected representatives push the decision of controversial subjects back to the voting public?
Why is it the best way? Why bother with a representative local government if those elected representatives push the decision of controversial subjects back to the voting public?
Because that way, the public gets to decide! The elected officials are great for grinding through policy minutia, etc, but I like letting voters decide big picture issues.
A better question is. Why does what days/hours a person can drink have to be legislated in the first place?
That's pretty much my thought on the issue as well. You could possibly make a public health and safety issue. But I'm not sure I buy that. However, I wouldn't dog South Carolina on this as there are many other states with even more draconian blue laws.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UpstateBooster
Because that way, the public gets to decide! The elected officials are great for grinding through policy minutia, etc, but I like letting voters decide big picture issues.
It's actually the job of bureaucrats to work work out the policy minutia. It is the job of elected officials to vote and then be held accountable at the polls for the way they've voted. Holding a referendum is just a way to avoid responsibility for potentially controversial subjects. Could you imagine having "the public decide," on every zoning case, or public utility issue?
That's pretty much my thought on the issue as well. You could possibly make a public health and safety issue. But I'm not sure I buy that. However, I wouldn't dog South Carolina on this as there are many other states with even more draconian blue laws.
It's actually the job of bureaucrats to work work out the policy minutia. It is the job of elected officials to vote and then be held accountable at the polls for the way they've voted. Holding a referendum is just a way to avoid responsibility for potentially controversial subjects. Could you imagine having "the public decide," on every zoning case, or public utility issue?
Just seems like SC has more than it's share of this kind of nonsense. It has been known for many years that cigarettes cause cancer but yet that does not stop SC from making money selling them. The state also has more then its share of obese people.....what's next are they going to legislate how often obese residents can eat at a buffet?
I am with you though. SC needs to let the people live....more revenue coming in to the state will only help it. While they are at it they need to stop making all the liquor stores close by 7:00 pm.
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The elected officials are great for grinding through policy minutia, etc, but I like letting voters decide big picture issues.
