#1 - Do not hold a local option election during a special election if you have a choice.
Special Elections verses General Elections
From 1998 to 2000, 7 special elections were held for Restaurant/Bars/Package liquor. - All seven failed
During the 2000 general election, 12 Liquor by the Drink elections were held. - Six out of the 12 passed.
Since that time, five special elections for Liquor by the Drink have been held. - Four failed. One passed.
#2 – Consider hiring someone who will give this their full attention. Both Georgetown and Murray hired marketing firms to assist them. Radcliff and Kuttawa did not but they had individuals willing to make this their #1 priority. And they did not back down nor did they slow up in their efforts. They were willing to stand up and address the issue in open forums and go door to door when needed.
#3 - Do not fight this battle as a moral issue. You will not win. Fight it with facts. Be level headed and stick with the common sense approach.
You will not just be fighting the churches. Most of the funding for the "dry" campaigns
will actually come from surrounding communities that are "wet" who do not want the
competition. Stick to issues like: Additional Dining Choices; Freedom of Choice
#4 – Law – According to KRS 242.230 of the Kentucky Statutes, Section 1:
"No person in a dry territory shall sell, barter, loan, give, procure for or furnish another, or keep or transport for sale, barter or loan, directly or indirectly, any alcoholic beverage."
In other words, any person in a dry county or city who gives an alcoholic beverage to another, whether it is at home, on the golf course, on a boat, or in the back yard is breaking the law.
In conclusion:
The number one health problem in the United States is not alcohol as many will lead you to believe. It is actually obesity! Are we going to stop selling French fries at McDonald’s because someone might eat too many? Anyone who partakes in too much of anything can harm their body, whether it be too much food, too much salt, too much exercise, or too much to drink.
If someone drives too fast, they could hurt someone. Do we take everyone’s right away from them to drive a car because someone might go over the speed limit? No. We allow people to make the choice and if they abuse it, then that right is taken away. But we don’t take it away from everyone.
