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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Drunk / City Hall A Drier Downtown: Meeting Tonight on Booze Ban

Posted by Denis C. Theriault on Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 11:34 AM

OH YEAH! Like Kool-Aid.
  • cvillain.com
  • OH YEAH! Pretty like Kool-Aid.
Portland's pooh-bahs are taking another step down the road toward clearing downtown and its environs of all malt liquor, fortified wine and other beverage types popular with "street drinkers," including tall-boys of regular beer and boxed wine (yum!).

Tonight, right about when happy hour starts in most saloons, the city's liquor licensing specialist, Theresa Marchetti, is holding a public meeting where liquor license holders can sound off on how the ban would (or wouldn't) affect them.

Meetings on the ban, which would create an "Alcohol Impact Area," have been held in fits and starts since this winter. And the Mercury also was on the case this spring.

The city, led by Commissioner Amanda Fritz, wants to "address the chronic problem of street drinking in the downtown core," according to the notice for tonight's meeting.

Of course, some convenience store owners who deal out the hard stuff worry that they might shut their doors without the business. And others complain it's all about making downtown more the domain of hipster clans pushing $400 strollers.

But city officials point to places like Seattle, where the ban has reduced police calls for public drunkenness. They want the same results here.

One thing sure to please downtown's young elite: Micro-brews won't be affected. We'll post updates from the meeting tomorrow and have more on the story next week.

Tonight's meeting:

6 p.m.
The Portland Building — 2nd floor auditorium
1120 SW 5th Ave.

 

Comments (6) RSS

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1
Is it just me, or didn't Planet Money just run a piece on how during Prohibition, consumption of hard liquor shot up because it was much easier to smuggle than beer?

I haven't seen the stats from Seattle, but I would wager that if you ban Four Loko and its ilk from downtown, you'll just see more drunks getting hammered on Popov and passing out in the Park Blocks.
Posted by TWSS on August 12, 2010 at 12:12 PM · Report
2
would this affect bars? i work at a bar and i can safely say that 25% of what we sell are tallboys...not to the hipsters who push $400 dollar strollers, but the hipsters who have $3 to their name and spend it on a crappy beer.
Posted by ohgeez on August 12, 2010 at 12:53 PM · Report
3
The question is where this will push these sales, cuz they'll go somewhere. Just over the river, is my guess.

ohgeez, hipsters may have to relearn how to drink out of 12 oz. cans. It will be a long laborious process, like learning to walk again after a car wreck, but I think they can do it.
Posted by Blabby on August 12, 2010 at 1:54 PM · Report
4
Looking at the issue of homelessness in Portland, let's call it a tree.

There are thousands striking at the branches of the tree, but very few attacking the roots.

This is a waste of time and money. This is the PBA whining and throwing a fit. Ugh.



Posted by Williams, Jay on August 12, 2010 at 1:57 PM · Report
5
So this all has to go before the OLCC, and they'll make some changes based on what "industry groups" have to say. Meaning well-paid lobbyists cozy with the bureaucracy will get a crack at the final rules, if the OLCC even lets it get that far.

Bars, however, would not be affected. 16-ounce six-packs aren't so lucky.
Posted by Denis C. Theriault on August 12, 2010 at 2:31 PM · Report
6
Here's the upshot to this being approved: "street" drinkers will merely downgrade to regular swill and remain. They will scrape together enough to drink enough to get fucked up. This will probably result in an increase in sales for those poor, downtown convenience store owners.

As long as I can don my pooka shell necklace, backward baseball cap, plaid shorts and flip flops, chase some tail, get fucked up and get in fights every weekend downtown I'm cool with whatever, bra.....
Posted by TSW on August 12, 2010 at 2:56 PM · Report

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