SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 11:51:00 AM
TIM PRATT
STARKVILLE — Just two weeks after the Starkville Board of Aldermen voted to allow Sunday alcohol sales, the State Tax Commission’s Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control threw the city a curve ball.
The ABC office Wednesday rejected a request to allow restaurants to sell wine and liquor by the glass on Sundays, Ward 5 Alderman Jeremiah Dumas said this morning. Grocery stores and convenience stores still will be allowed to sell beer, however, as the ABC office only controls the liquor and wine sales, Dumas said.
Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.
This smells of BS.
Leroy says gaaaarrr leeeee!
Leroy has some washclothes cause some folks to wipe their faces clean of that egg thrown in their face by ABC.
If i want to drink a glass of liquor on sunday, well then by gosh I will and there’s nothing the damn ABC can do about it.
Regardless of what side of the debate you were on, you should have a real problem with the ABC declining to follow the decision of Starkville’s elected officials without a damn good reason.
I have to agree with MIADawg, those that were against this could easily put the shoe on the other foot. I see some of the same people that were opposed to the Sunday sales also stood with former mayor and boards on zoning issues that went to court. What if the courts over turned the mayor and boards’ decisions that they so liked. If appointed people in the state can overturn decisions of local elected officials why have local elected officials. Are people who live in Jackson, MS really better equipped to decide what should go on in Starkville, MS? Ask yourself this question about any issue that might go on in the City of Starkville.
I think if you asked ABC or State Tax Commission for a report showing where they have turned down similar requests in the past I think we would be very shocked to see this is almost a first, if not the first. All that ABC/State Tax Commission should have been doing here was checking to see if proper protocol and guidelines were followed in adopting this ordinance. People can get just as drunk off beer as they can liquor.
While I don’t disagree with you, Lee, the fact is Starkville does NOT have the authority to make this decision- ABC does.
I think this decision might have been impacted by the Cowbells/Highlands fiasco. Think about it- Oktibbeha County supports resort-status for Highlands, then asks ABC to reject it??? Don’t you think ABC might be thinking-ahead based on our past actions???
So much for living in a representative democracy. Someone put out an APB for the mayor. Now is the time for some leadership. He, as the lone representative of the entire city needs to make himself heard in Jackson. If he doesn’t already have a meeting set up with whoever handed down this ruling then he is, in effect, saying he’s not the boss and it’s okay for the official governing body of Starkville, one that was duly elected by the citizens, to be steamrolled by a state bureaucrat.
The only way to change ABC’s decision making ability in instances such as this is at the State level (Legislature).
Editor’s note: The comment above by “Jeremiah” is not by Alderman Dumas.
Should be interesting to see what the head kid in charge has to say about this…
Good ole dirty MS politics.
Unfortunately, our Aldermen and Mayor have made key mistakes in there first 2 months on the job. First, they overturn the previous boards decision re: a rezoning issue in Sherwood Forest. Next, they vote against homeowners along Academy Rd, who in-turn take the city to court. Then, they force the alcohol debate to the forefront of city politics after campainging that the election should not be about alcohol.
With a $400K+ budget deficit facing the City in the midst of all of this, we still have to address the PD/City Hall project, upgrading our sewer and water systems, paving streets,etc. This Board has wasted much (if not all) of the enthusiasm people had for its success going forward. I hope they wake up soon and realize the errors they are making, learn from those errors and make WISE decisions that lead us in the right direction.
Well said, Dawg.
From what I understand, it’s our glorious DUI stats that played a part in the ABC’s decision. Wonder if the chief will still be needing those extra DUI enforcers now?
The reasons ABC did what they did 1.Too many DUI’s 2.Closeness of the board’s vote. 3.Hundreds of letters sent to the ABC including one written by Alderman Perkins. 4.Our rather youthful mayor and board did not show up for a date before ABC to respond to the top three reasons above. A little kick in the teeth for our youthful leaders!
You may want to visit starkvilledailynews.com. It seems the COMMERCIAL DISPATCH reporter never bothered to check with ABC to confirm the information he discussed with Alderman Dumas and subsequently reported. ABC has NOT even ruled on Starkville’s Sunday sales. Yup – the Starkville Dispatch is really on top of all the Starkville happenings!
Leroy says Dumas and others will need a drink in order to heal their bruised egos. Leroy heard a lot of talk of pre-planning during election time and has to wonder, IF the DUI rate is what hurt this deal, then why our aldermen didn’t PLAN for the possibility and specifically talk it over with ABC before gettind D-E-N-I-E-D.
Leroy advises the peeps to tune their sets in- cause there’s mo’ to come at 6 and 10!
Leroy wonders why Dumas told the Dispatch is was denied when ABC says it’s not- Leroy says Dumas mighta jumped the gun in going to the press. Leory says Kelly Daniels & SDN appear on top of things!
Somebody get the ward 5 alderman a guvna. He ain’t able to slow hisself down and keep from jumping the gun on a lotta things so he’s gonna need some help. He is reminding me more and more of the guy who had his job right before him. That guy woulda gotten a lot further if he had just slowed down and listened ever now and then.