Whether liquor-by-the-drink passes or fails, the outcome won't make a huge difference in our county.
Liquor-by-the-drink is one of those issues that tends to generate more heat than light. It pits the bubbly optimism of economic development types against the often dire concerns of anti-alcohol alarmists. Reality probably lies somewhere between the extremes.
Liquor-by-the-drink would no doubt help the bottom line of some of our restaurants, but the overall economic impact on a county with our population base would be modest. People who think the Applebee's of the world are salivating at the prospect of opening a franchise here once we pass liquor-by-the-drink are going to be disappointed.
Likewise, those who predict a marked increase in drunken driving and related social tragedies haven't offered any evidence that their fears are justified. The "even-if-one-person-dies-it's-too-many" argument is compelling at one level, but it can be applied to almost any human initiative, from crossing the street to eating beef jerky.
Each voter will decide which side of the continuum is more compelling, but Marion County will get along just fine with either outcome. -DR
