Alcohol sales good for city

Editor:
After reading Andy and April Priola’s letter to the editor, I feel that what they wrote is classic fear mongering gone amuck. While I can respect their opinion regarding the quality of life in Hartselle, and their fear of possible changes, I have to take issue with some of their statements.
Hartselle has a population of 13,500. Memphis is 670,000 people, the state of Utah is 2,784,572, and the state of Massachusetts is 6,593,587. Comparing apples to oranges, in this case, is exactly what “Citizens for Safe Hartselle” did some years ago.
Not only did they do that, some of the very people in that committee were frequent guests of night clubs, bars, and liquor stores in Decatur. Allegedly, from what I was told by numerous people, some of the donations accepted for their “well funded” campaign against the wet-dry, came from people that make a living from alcohol sales in Decatur.
If you want to get a closer view, I encourage you to visit Athens. Albeit a bigger city, your statistics would be far more closer to Hartselle, that a entire state of a huge city. But let me save you some time.
I sat in Athens mayor office just a couple years ago, and was impressed from what I was told.
When Athens went wet, their alcohol related accidents, DUI’s, etc actually dropped. Their revenue jumped significantly, which is allowing them to build and pay for a new fire station and a high school. During that visit, I was also told that since going wet, they hadn’t had any form of disturbances at any restaurants because of liquor.
If Hartselle were to go wet, the ordinance that we already have available to be voted on, prohibits bars, saloons, nightclubs, and any other form of “watering holes.” More than likely, it would also probably put several bootleggers out of business that operate inside of the city limits.
My dad suffered from alcoholism, and it was a major factor that led to his death. Personally, I cannot remember the last time I had an adult beverage, because it’s been a long time. I do support Hartselle going wet, because of the revenue from it. We already have the sale of alcohol in Hartselle, we’re just not getting the taxes from it.
Lastly, Jesus turned water into wine. If it were grape juice, the Bible would have stated as much. Theoretically, grape juice would spoil quickly in those days, because of the lack of refrigeration. Additionally, I believe the scriptures speak of a joyful and “festive” wedding that this was done at.
You are entitled to your opinion, but honestly, your dog won’t hunt.
This is Hartselle, not some metropolitan city, or a state. I don’t think we will have to worry about drunk vagabonds walking around downtown bothering people, begging for a dollar so they can buy a bottle of ripple.
What we do need to worry about is the Hartselle hypocrites that attend church on Sunday with a hangover, and the preachers that are seen frequently exiting the liquor stores in Decatur, and some of the committee members that align themselves with the anti-wet crowd just to save face.
Mike Dowdy
Hartselle

Security is
slipping away

Editor:
Listen up, about our security.
If the President can’t see the danger on our border with Mexico how is he able to tell the people of Afghanistan how to take care of that war?
The number of illegal aliens we have with a driver’s license are able to vote.
That should be againstt the law and they should not be allowed to become citizens of the U.S. But the administration doesn’t care at all. They just want the vote so they can stay in power.
You can tell who is working for us when the President  lets Congress and the Senate steal our Social Security like it is their piggy bank for the pork barrel programs they want to fund and give themselves a raise of over $500. At the same time they have taken away a raise for senior citizens for two years. That should tell you who is working for whom—we, the people, or themselves.
Ralph F. Kreps Sr.
Hartselle

Sales won’t help business

Editor:
A salute to all local businesses.
I moved here seven years ago. Since that time I have bought gas, groceries and everyday essentials in Hartselle. I have eaten in most of our restaurants and supported our local businesses.
Thank you for all you mean to our community. I look forward to continuing my support. Most of you honor your customers as essential supporters of your livelihood.
My point to you is that your supporters are not among the number of those who complain about having to drive to Decatur or other places to support those businesses that sell alcohol. We are not among those who take our tax money out of town. Those people who have to have their alcohol are not your supporters. Their desire for alcohol overcomes their desire to support our local businesses. Instead of trading with you, they choose to go out of town.
Their desire of alcohol dulls their sense of supporting our local tax base. They want new business to come in to sell alcohol and again you are not good enough without alcohol. Don’t be fooled if they bring in alcohol they will trade with the new businesses because you never have met their needs.
They don’t care about your additional costs to update, renovate, license, bookkeeping, added security, etc. to compete with new chain stores. They are not your base now and will not be in the future.
I call on all our local businesses to recognize those of us who do not have to have the alcohol as your supporters now and in the future. We have stood by you for years and ask you to stand with us to reject alcohol sales in Hartselle.
Stanley Ryan
Hartselle

Small town life is great

Editor:
I had almost forgotten how wonderful it is to just read a small town newspaper. Living in a small city the closeness of the community gets lost and no one knows anyone except your immediate neighbors. My mother grew up in Morgan county and I have visited there many times. I have family still there.
Be thankful for a small town and cherish your tight knit community.
Big towns and cities are not always better. I remember the family atmosphere and reading your paper brings all those wonderful memories back. I hope that Hartselle, Falkville and the other small towns of Morgan county try to stay like I remember, faith in God, family first and a community that helps each other.
Rebecca Mitchell
Northport

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