Deseret News | S.L. leaders seeking liquor reform

Reader comments
S.L. leaders seeking liquor reform

Anonymous | 4:08 p.m. Oct. 28, 2009

I live in the 9th and 9th neighborhood and would not mind having a few bars within walking distance. This would be a great change.

anonymous | 5:16 p.m. Oct. 28, 2009

I move to Utah from Florida 5 years, not relazing how strick the laws were.

People would rather pay more taxes, low teacher salarys and low salaries for police officer that change the laws to have more taxes on liquor and more bars. Mormons ,etcs, don't want Utah to grow and have more tourist.

As long as Mormons run the state. Nothing will change . I guess that will be for the next 1000000000years

Dave | 8:45 p.m. Oct. 28, 2009

To Anonymous,
You could always return to Florida if that would be better for you.
Personally, I have lived in Florida, and I much prefer SLC to Tampa.

Comments continue below

Sal | 4:17 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

To Dave,
You could always move to Utah County maybe that would be better for you. As for me and Mr. Anonymous, we will stay here in Salt Lake City and do what we can to help legalize adulthood.

Kim | 6:34 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

I find it funny how people assume that someone wanting to raise their family in a community not replete with bars must be Mormon. There are many of us in this state who are not Mormon and we don't want bars on every corner because we moved here to raise our children in a clean, wholesome, and yes old-fashioned environment. What our anonymous friend from FL is suggesting is that we increase vice so we can tax them. I'm sure the other side of his/her mind would yell foul that we've stepped on those who use those vices civil liberties. There is a proper community for everyone in the US, but some think they should change all communities to meet their needs instead of finding the one which already does!!

anonymous | 6:35 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

To Dave
What a wonderful attitude you have. The old conform to our way of life or get out. Sad to say that people with that belief are no longer the majority in Salt Lake City unfortunately though the people in power are. Slowly though we are moving out of the 18th century.

Teacher | 6:36 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

The more alcohol, the more drunk and disorderly people, drunk drivers, increased police force, and major cost to enforce, apprehend, and house those that do not obey drinking laws. Money made will not go to education, that is only a ploy used to get votes!

Whenever you | 7:27 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

make alcohol easier to obtain, you create many negative consequences in the local community:

*Alcoholism rates increase

*DUIs increase as do DUI-related deaths

*Homicides increse - nationwide 50% of all homicides are alcohol related.

*Teenage drinking increases.

*The number of alcohol-related sex crimes increases, including date-rapes.

That horrible gang-rape of that 15 year old girl that occurred in Richmond Ca. was fueled by alcohol. Want to increase the likelihood of something like that happening in the Salt Lake Valley? Just make alcohol more accessible to the general public.

There are more important thing than tourism dollars - things like the safety of our wives and children.

Is it Dave or Dick? | 7:33 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Go back to the compound in Eldorado, Texas.
Mike

To Teacher: | 7:37 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

You don't really understand drinking do you?
If you have an area that has multiple bars it is more likely you travel to more than one bar. The more bars that a person visits during a lets say three hour period, the less drunk that person is likely to get. If you sit in the same bar all night and drink you will get hammered.
Not to mention that fact that if you are planning on moving around you are not going to drive and will plan on using other means of transportation.
You are very uneducated and filled with fear, I am glad I am not you. I actually enjoy my life.

Brit | 7:58 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

I grew up in Britain and as a child and young adult I can recall being afraid to go anywhere on a Friday or Saturday night because of the number of drunks on the streets and on the buses. (Here drunks will be driving cars). It was frightening to be accosted by a drunk male or female. I recall their slurred speech, the stink of alcohol and often vomit on their clothing and in some cases other bodily fluids as they were unable to control themselves because they were so inebriated. Not all users of alcohol are like this but the more available alcohol becomes the more likely we will see the same drunks on our streets. I love living in Utah and I want to keep it the way it is. I don't care if we are viewed as different or even as prudes. I like it that way. I'm not Mormon but thank God they do make the laws, I'm grateful for them everyday. I chose to come here and I don't want to change anything. Those who move here and whine about everything should go where they are more comfortable.

Happy Camper | 8:04 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

To Anonymous: "I move to Utah from Florida 5 years, not relazing how strick the laws were"

Now that you understand that how restrictive we are in Utah, you will, of course, be moving back to Florida and leaving our restrictive environment for one which more appropriately meets your needs.

While we might be restrictive in Utah, we do learn how to construct a sentence and how to spell.

John Charity Spring | 8:08 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

This is not a religious issue, it is a community safety issue. As pointed out above, increased alcohol use creates horrendous societal consequences. it is outrageous that government leaders are willing to impose these societal problems on the community in order to become popular and win elections. There was a time in this Country when elected leaders would not have promoted drunkenness, sloth, and out-of-control behavior. It is no wonder that modern society is such a mess.

9th and 9th | 8:11 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

I live in this neighborhood too and the last thing I want is bars but you can dream.

Give me a break... | 8:40 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

A couple bars scattered around SLC are not going to...

* increase alcoholism

* increase DUI-related deaths

* increse homocides

* increase teenage drinking

* increase the number of alcohol-related sex crimes, including date-rapes.

* and my favorite "fear tactic" claim, taken directly from the Karl Rove manual, relating the incident in Richmond, CA to this in SLC is absolutely ridiculous. The same argument could be made about gun control, "guns don't kill people, people kill people". "bars don't gang-rape people, people gang-rape people". I find it refreshingly ironic how one group can use a certain logic to bolster a point they feel strongly about but that logic seems to get lost when it doesn't agree with their ideology.

Legislating morality in this country has reached new levels and UT is at the head of the table!!

Anonymous | 8:56 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

"City leaders aren't looking for a "Bourbon Street effect" downtown, but Everitt said he expects some areas to see an "organic" boost in bars and taverns"

HUH!!!! What exactly that "organic" boost in bars and taverns mean? Is this like the "Consumer Option" in healthcare reform. The same old plan using a "more politically palatable" name.

Grateful | 9:01 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

"Legislating morality in this country has reached new levels and UT is at the head of the table!!"

Many of us are very grateful that Utah is at the head of the table and is likely to be for a long time.

Anonymous | 9:01 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

I don't care about the number of bars - even though there is not much choice here either, but I want to buy my wine on Sunday!!!! People with families get together and celebrate on Saturday and Sundays!

Dutchman | 9:16 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Quit blaming the Mormon Church for all the suffering in your life. The state legislature just passed the most sweeping liquor law reforms this state has seen in forty years. Your freedom to drink alcohol has been unleashed. Do you really believe these reform laws would have passed if the Mormon Church had opposed them? Come on critics, get real. Write Pres. Monson a letter and thank him for allowing you the choice to drink whenever, wherever. I for one wish the Mormon Church had opposed these changes.

I won't | 9:28 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

be leaving Utah, and I expect to live another 50 years, so I'll be fighting for change here the whole time. This is not a theocracy, as much as some people would like. My ancestors settled here too. And I have just as much right to attempt to change policies as you. My vote counts and there will only be more of me to come.

-Christopher-

Riddle me this?!?! | 10:04 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

If you have a certain percentage of the population that consumes alcohol, and a percentage that does not...

Will having an increased number of bars somehow persuade those who currently do not drink to start drinking? No.

For example, I hate Quizznos. They just opened one down the street from me. Am I going to start eating there just because they opened one? No. Having one close by is not going to make me start liking it.

The same percentage of people will continue to drink as they did before and the same percentage will not. So it really wouldn't change anything by having more bars, other than having different places to go for those that do drink.

Fredd | 10:06 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

John Charity Spring--Check out the amount of alcohol consumed by the founding fathers while attending the Copntinental Congress. What the city is trying to do is create an area where you could go, say before a Jazz game, and have dinner and a few drinks. And maybe walk to afterwards and have a snack and drink while waitring for traffic to die down. Or go on a Saturday night and attend a few different establishments. Most people use designated drivers now. Plus if these are high end establishments you won't have the low life drunks.

Johnny Utah # 9 | 10:24 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

The problem with some of the laws in Utah is, many are designed around a certain population that do not have enough self control or the decision making skills that are required in order to make good choices for themselves. Many would rather have the choices made for them. Hence, the moronic alcohol laws.

It's the old adage of "out of sight, out of mind". Laws like, The Zion Curtain, private clubs, metered pours, 3.2 beer. How do these laws protect those that choose not to drink. They don't.

The state needs to quit making laws for those people that too easily give into their temptations and that the lack self control to make a wise decision for themselves. Let people make their own decisions and take responsibility for their own actions.

Anonymous | 10:31 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

THEOCRACY + MISINFORMATION = UTAH'S LAWS

Re: Dutchman | 9:16 a.m | 10:33 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

That's the problem with Utah...the legislature is controlled the mormon church and looks to them to decide what's best for everybody. The church owns the percentages of lawmakers, congressmen, senators and voters. So if the church wants it, they get it.

So much for separation of church and state eh?

Can you say Theocracy? I knew you could.

Frank M. | 11:07 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

I am thankful to live in Nevada. Come visit all you "children"!

Dutchman | 11:35 a.m. Oct. 29, 2009

The "Theocracy" here in Utah as some call it is at times too liberal for me. I would rather that it be stricter rather than allowing loose liquor laws just so we can be like everyone else. One change I hope never happens is allowing wine and liquor to be sold in the grocery stores. Have you written your 'thank you" note to Pres. Monson yet?

to Dutchman who says... | 12:01 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

"Write Pres. Monson a letter and thank him for allowing you the choice to drink whenever, wherever."

Ah, the problem with a Theocracy. The good ole USA was founded so that government would not be controlled by religious leaders. Guess you have summed up Utah, haven't you?

Interesting...... | 12:37 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

How people call all the 'vices' Adult.....as in "adult beverages", "adult magazines or movies", "adult langauge". I live in SoCal and it is my observation that the people who partake of these so called "adult" products, begin to act juvenile, as they do so. How ironic is that.
As I read all of these posts from people seam to hate living in Utah, it makes me wonder why they stay there. I think they should move to some place else where they can partake of the "adult" products, so they can act more juvenile.

G. Gordon | 12:49 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Let me quote G. Gordon Liddy who is absolutely NOT a Mormon. G. Gordon says "as soon as someone takes 1 drink of alcohol, they immdeiately start to become stupid"
Right from the mouth of a non mormon!!

G. Gordon? | 1:22 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

G. Gordon Liddy... one of former President Nixon's chief co-conspirator and the organizer of the Watergate break-in. It's good to see how much you can accomplish when not stupid with alcohol.

Great! | 1:37 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Great to hear the city is updating it's liquor laws. I had a good laugh at some of the fearmongering on the comments of this article. Believe it or not, liquor is available to any bad-intentioned, absent minded, judgment lacking person who wants it. It's called the LIQUOR STORE. The same concerns could be expressed for driving a vehicle, eating fast food or owning a weapon! These are the chances we take to live in a free society where grown ups are allowed to make their own choices.

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