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Most Salt Lakers want to loosen liquor laws; so do 2 candidates

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Anonymous | 4:09 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

@Do it for others
Prohibition worked soooo well and thats why it failed right? During prohibition all the problems associated with alcohol were solved, and nobody ever drank again? Nobody hurt others "physicall,emotionally etc?" during prohibition? The substance is not and never was the problem, it is the abuse of that substance that is the problem and simply banning alcohol wouldn't make people not act foolish or hurt others. Prohibition does nothing but make criminals out of otherwise law abiding responsible citizens. In this state people are already made to feel like criminals or deviants for drinking alcohol even without prohibition.

Anonymous | 4:12 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Wow, I haven't seen such stereotypical views of drinkers for quite some time. For those of you that seem to feel we are all degenerates or that your lifestyle is so much superior, ask yourself this: "Would I like others to have a similarly simplistic view of my religion or culture?"

Duh | 4:16 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

@ RE do it for others.

You obviously didn't read his post. He claimed it banned the production of alcohol. Missing the points of banning its shipping etc was a slight error. However you are obnoxious to make a mock of him for that.

@ TF: We could use some of that good southern common sense up here. Nobody is FORCING anyone to stay here. If you don't like the laws here stop complaining or go some where else.

Comments continue below

JC | 4:20 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

The club membership rule has to go, it is absurd. I have not heard a single good argument for it. The zoning laws are counterproductive as well. We live in a car culture. Few people walk or use public transportation on a night out on the town because most citizens in the county don't live in SLC and drive downtown. Furthermore, it's illegal to hail a cab. So if someone doesn't like a particular scene, they drive to a new one, which may be miles away. Also, it is absolutely unreasonable that one cannot buy a bottle of wine or grey goose past 7:00 pm on several nights and not at all on Sunday. We don't want to be Vegas, we want to be sensible while still preserving our nice mountain community.

kyle | 4:26 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Why is the Church consulted with on legislative issues? That is ridiculous!! Ever heard of seperation of church and state? Oh wait, I forgot, Utah is a Theocracy

@ JC | 4:38 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

How do you think our nice mountain community came to be? It got this way because of the good LDS influence on the alcohol laws among other things.

Why move? | 4:43 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Why move? It is just fine to voice ones opinion in the US. If we don't like it we talk about it, even with all the stereotypes.

I wonder if when the "if you don't like it move" thing comes up, it is because people are scared that really what is happening is that, like the article said "Most Salt Lakers" do want change.

People are scared of change. Especially if people believe that their core value is against that change. I would submit however, that even with the change people will still be allowed to live their lives as they please. The difference is that if "Most Salt Lakers" want this, change will happen and prove that democracy does work.

Hector | 4:47 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

After living the first 57 years of my life in Utah I moved to Maryland. I like to have a beer with my dinner. Just one beer. Here in Maryland I can drive/walk 1/2 mile to my local liquor store. It is open 7 days a week. I buy Molson Ice 5.5% beer for $.75 a bottle, and it is REALLY GOOD BEER.

I never get drunk from my one beer with dinner, and I skip that beer if I am going to be driving in the evening. So I never drive with any alcohol in my body.

Who says that having quality liquor/wine/beer available at a fair price 7 days a week causes people to drink to excess? Any adult in Utah can buy all the alcoholic beverages they want. The Utah laws just make it inconvenient (no Sunday sales), expensive, and make GOOD beer hard to buy and costly. But the Utah laws do absolutely nothing to lower alcohol consumption by those who want to drink. The crappy Utah 3.2% beer just steers drinkers to wine and hard stuff.

RIght........ | 5:08 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Hector,

So the 3.2% steers people to wine and harder stuff because they lack the self control to be satisfied drinking a 3.2% beer?

Bacchus | 5:47 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

I have said it before but having the LDS church around is certainly a great source of amusment. Where else do you get to see all these adults living in Fantasyland and taking it seriously.

I enjoy my wine almost every night, and I have no DUIs at all. And I do take pride in not paying any taxes to the Nazies.

Some of you people need to be reminded that the Constitutin applies to all 50 states, there is no "thinking person's exclusion zone."

It is true you do not need bars to have fun in Salt Lake, you can always go to the Beehive House and see where Brigham was bedding the teenagers. (At least they were girls.)

In Vino Veritas (It will get you a lot farther than the "Word of Wisdom")

Texas Ute | 6:08 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Zero chance of doing somethiong wrong if you don't drink. Brillant statement by one of the all-knowing posters up a few on this site. How ridiculous. Muslims don't drink. Maybe they got some though on those planes that hit the Twin towers. Get a life Mormons.

Am | 6:10 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

We're talking about changing the laws in Salt Lake CITY, not the entire state. Why can't people see that its beneficial to the state as a whole to have at least one area where people can socialize freely without having to actually go through paperwork just to sit and chat with friends over a beer, or glass of wine? If we change just a few of the laws maybe Salt Lake City will actually have an exciting nightlife and we won't be viewed as a backwards and boring state.

Law of the land | 7:08 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

I lived in northern utah for over 20 years (not LDS) and didn't have any problems with the utah laws. Every state has peculiar laws. You roll with the punches and adopt.

As far as elected officials suppose to do the will of the majority of the people... well that is dead wrong in a Republic. The elected official is suppose to do what they consider BEST. Period. regardless of the polls. This is why elections are so important.

Outsider POV | 7:15 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Hi All. I'm an active member of the LDS church living in New York City. Given that many of my non-Mormon friends come back from Utah complaining about the liquor laws, I guess I'm qualified as anyone to voice my opinion.

While I don't drink, I think the Utah liquor laws should be relaxed to be more inline with the rest of the country. I'm going to butcher it, but George Romney---when talking about civil rights laws in the 60s---said something like, "we should never impose our own religious dictates on others if it violates their legal freedoms or civil rights."

Since it's not illegal to drink in the USA, I don't think LDS members need to make it unusually difficult for others to do so.

I like Politics | 7:25 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Buhler has shown that he is the only candidate willing to make tough stands on real issues. Becker refuses to deal with any of the hard questions that come before him, and follows when it is politically necessary. He followed Buhler reluctantly on the sky bridge, here he doesn't give any clear plans of actions, and he hasn't made a clear position on the public saftey bond. He is so scared after years of being bullied in the Legislature that now when it comes time for him to show some leadership he fails. Buhler has shown he is no stooge to the LDS leadership. He makes up his own mind and then works to get things done. In this case getting things done meant he had to convice other Mormons to come along with him.

Me | 7:43 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

"Concerned" said this: "just make a comparison between the blue States and the Red states.Where Murders and suicides are about 7 to 1 higher in the blue states, blah, blah".

Sorry "Concerned", I lived in one of those evil Blue states for 30 years, in an evil big city with liberal alcohol laws, no less. Sorry, but the rape rate is higher here in Utah. Meth consumption is higher here. Property crime is higher here. Murder is about the same, but I'm sure Utah can surge ahead if we put our minds to it.

Did you make up your own facts or did someone make them up FOR you?

Marissa | 7:58 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

For those who care to notice, Utah has the lowest drunk driving rate in the country- a feat DIRECTLY related to our strict liquor laws. When our laws became stricter, less people died. What it really comes down to is loss of life versus loss of convenience. What do you value more?

utahkeith | 9:03 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

I don't want to "Expell" anybody from Utah, I just said if you came here for the "good family life" and want to change the laws about alcohol, you are being illogical, the way things are is what makes us GREAT! Expelling "non-Mormons" is not my case either, I leave that up to the Misourians, those of Illinois and Kirtland in the 1800's. As far as making the laws more "User Friendly", they are fine now, actually should be tougher! Righteousness needs to stop bowing and bending to make way for those who want to have us give in. Whether we like it or not, we have been giving in since 1830, since the beginning of time (Good vs Evil, Right vs Wrong), and it is hi time this small State in the vastness of the World take it's stand and SAY "NO, NOT HERE!" It is that simple, if you want to drink, drink at home, don't drive, and don't get drunk in UTAH, WE DON'T WANT IT HERE, IT IS THAT SIMPLE, MAJORITY OR MINORITY, Right is Right if it is 99% or 36%, you can't change what is right and best for UTAH's People and safety!

GotOut | 9:27 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

Question: Who has one of the highest rates of Prozac abuse?

Fact: Despite common misconceptions, Utah is not the Promise Land.

Fact #2: The Constitution mandates a seperation between Church and State. You should try it sometime!

Disgusted | 11:13 p.m. Oct. 4, 2007

This entire post is an example of the closed minded, judgmental, hyporcites that live in Utah; most of which are the mormons. Open your minds, accept others for who they are, and stop giving people reasons to believe mormons are exactly what you have just dsiplayed: ignorant, self-righteous and pompous. The world is a great big place, take a chance and explore it without judging it!

drinking not religious | 7:31 a.m. Oct. 5, 2007

Drinking is not a religous issue, even though it's opposed strongly by religous folks. Drinking is a social issue, it drives up the cost of health care, it kills, it's a potent ingredient for violent crime, and the list can go on. To attack a church because it opposes drinking is a shallow effort to not face reality. Sober up folks.

Tia | 9:13 a.m. Oct. 5, 2007

"For those who care to notice, Utah has the lowest drunk driving rate in the country- a feat DIRECTLY related to our strict liquor laws."

Um. no. It's because less people overall in Utah drink. Not due to laws, but bc they just don't.

Utahkeith, bringing up Missouri and all those places is foolish and pointless. Has nothing to do with this. Plus haven't you realized it doesn't matter who was somewhere first? Native Americans and hispanics were in Utah way before Mormons, yada yada yada. The "we were here first!" thing is tiresome and inconsequential. And bringing righteousness into this is ridiculous bc different religion view drinking as perfectly ok. You are imposing a religion's view of things upon people who are not involved in that church, and once again NOT separating church and state.

Utah is in the United States of America, not in the land that was settled by the Mormon Church. JUST one religion's viewpoint should not dictate all.

To @ JC | 10:51 a.m. Oct. 5, 2007

Another comment that the Mormons are the only moral people in Utah. I guess even though I don't drink and drive, provide well for my family, volunteer at my church, have raised a very good young man, and spend every possible moment enjoying my own version of family time, I guess I'm not a good influence in this community because I'm not LDS? This is just another example why people are offended by some in the LDS faith. I guess because I'm not LDS and haven't any morals I need the city and state government to impose laws that will ensure that I, being the ignorant heathen that I am, will have some moral fortitude.
Thank you Utah. You've saved me again from myself.

Unknowingone | 4:09 p.m. Oct. 5, 2007

I'm a non mormon who moved here because of the pace and values. It has been very enjoyable seeing how many people personalize this issue....on both sides :)

3cheersForUT | 5:25 p.m. Oct. 5, 2007

The narrow minded, self riteous and judgmental comments made in the majority of these comments criticizing other's beleifs are maddening, both from LDS and non-LDS. I find peace at mind knowing there are still Utah citizens, religious or not, with their head screwed on correctly.

This state is AMAZING with all it has to offer, and what could be even more amazing is if it's population learned to tolerate eachothers differences and beleifs. Now would be a good time for everyone to open their eyes and minds. Shunning others or forcing personal or religous beliefs on others will not benefit this community in any way or form.

To 3cheersForUT | 11:59 p.m. Oct. 5, 2007

Thank you.
I moved here from So. Cal. and enjoy most things about Utah. I enjoy the beauty and the grandeur. I like the cleanliness and safe society. I have a few neighbors that are fantastic. Some are LDS and some are not. I do, however, resent the condescension, the rudeness and the crude comments made to us because we're not LDS. The family across the street should be the poster family for the LDS church. They are a very religious LDS family but are very respectful and accepting of us. We've help each other out many times. The family down the street, on the other hand, will turn their back on us so they don't have to wave. I've helped them many times as well but they never talk to us unless they need something. Their rudeness reminded me very much of New York. Not much of a poster family for toleration.
To those that accept us, thank you. Thank you for your patients, understanding, and tolerance. For those of you who wish that we gentiles never came, I'll have a beer in your honor.

Tia | 9:13 a.m. Oct. 8, 2007

I'll toast to that with my chardonnay!

=)

King Slender | 4:28 p.m. Oct. 8, 2007

Listen up people! It's not hard to get drunk in Utah. The liquor laws in Utah are so juvenile in comparison with the rest of the world. If Salt Lake wants to be known as a "world class" city, it needs to improve how it is perceived. Loosen up the liquor laws. Bigger businesses would come to Utah. Better restaurants would come to Utah. More Skiers would come to Utah. I donï¿½t see while LDS politician should make it such a pain for non-members to enjoy their lives and not have to drive to WY and NV to get their kegs filled.

Jason D | 6:33 p.m. Nov. 12, 2007

I find it funny that at the thought of socialized medicine so many people freak out. But socialized liquor is ok. What happened to a free market? It's funny that a moral considerations promoting good can't provoke socialism but considerations to prevent "evil" can...

Conejo | 7:45 p.m. Feb. 23, 2008

Well, the number of people who are drunk drivers have generally been drinking shortly before or during the driving. Thus, "drunk driving". I think it is funny that those who choose to drink a liquid whose soul purpose is to impair their thinking and reduce their inhibition also claim to be "responsible". If you were responsible you you wouldn't put yourself in a position to have your thinking impaired now would you?

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