This blog printed on 100% recycled electrons.
I've got to go jump in the lake in a few minutes (it's water sampling day!). Some commenters will likely urge me to jump in the lake again after reading this post.
But before I go, let me urge all of you to head over to KJAM to vote in their poll on closing time for Madison's bars. ("No" is currently winning, but it's close, 53.4% to 46.6%!)
Background: The Madison City Commission gave first reading Monday night to an ordinance that would allow Madison bars to stay open until 2 a.m. Bar owners have asked the commission for this change so they can make more money. Our hooch purveyors have dressed up their request in talk about increasing tax revenue for the city... but legalizing marijuana and prostitution could do that for the city as well. Madison's bar owners have also contended that a 2 a.m. closing time will enhnace public safety, as people will be less inclined to leave the bar to go drink at private parties or at the bars in neighboring communities that stay open later... but that's clearly just a ploy to cut into the business of our friends in Wentworth, Nunda, and elsewhere.
But heaven knows there just aren't enough opportunities to get schnockered here in Madison. Expect this ordinance to pass with little fuss.
Maybe we should change that city slogan: Madison: Discover the Inebriated!
The Predictability of the Sioux Falls City Council is painful to watch
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Former City Councilor Big T wrote an excellent letter to the editor about
how the citizens need to vote on the new parks’ expenditures. I would
agree, $77 ...
12 hours ago
How late do the bars in Madison stay open under the current ordinance?
ReplyDeleteWhoops! left that out: 1 a.m.
ReplyDeleteI'm not advocating a later drinking time for Madison, but if we compare our bar closing time to surrounding communities, we're pretty conservative when most are 2AM. I hear from my younger acquaintances how they often compete to see who can get to Wentworth first after 1AM following a few drinks in Madison. That's scary and changing the time to be consistent with our area towns would eliminate some of that risky intoxicated driving.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like some of your younger acquaintances need to grow up... and like Madison's Finest need to set up two checkpoints at 1 a.m.: one by the White Buffalo, one by the old fireworks stand on old 34.
ReplyDelete