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Opinion editorials Handling of Pit Appeal Calls for a Time-Out |
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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Let's Raise a Glass To Tougher Liquor Regs
It's not about picking on responsible liquor establishments, expanding police power or even clamping down on teen fun. It is about supplying sufficient tools to enforce the liquor laws already on state books.
Proposed changes to the state's liquor control act would mean that by enlisting local law enforcement a realistic number of officers have authority to cite problem bars and stores that serve and sell to minors and the already inebriated. (Right now 35 state agents are charged with keeping 1,411 licensees in line.) They would provide minimum penalties for violations. (Right now there are none.) And they would set up consequences for businesses that become public nuisances. (Right now a nuisance can hang on to a liquor license.)
And they would do all that while preserving an owner's right to fight any and every citation.
Each of Gov. Bill Richardson's proposals could have helped close Albuquerque's Club 7 before it racked up 21 violations, allowed in twice as many patrons as permitted by the fire marshal, and was busted for allowing underwear-clad girls to mingle with older men in a drug-and-alcohol-fueled environment under the guise of “all-ages” entertainment.
Partnering with local agencies, like the Albuquerque Police Department last year in the special raid on Club 7, increases manpower and gives law enforcement a fighting chance. Setting minimum penalties for violating the “Three Strikes” rule, which can shut an establishment down for three convictions in a 12-month period, gives the law some teeth. And enabling the use of public nuisance laws to revoke liquor licenses and making the presence of minors in a restricted area a Three Strikes violation provides a strong financial incentive to follow the law.
Club 7 closed soon after the raid, but the dangerous cocktail inside was apparently well known to local law enforcement, which for years lacked authority to issue a last call. The Legislature should seriously consider the governor's proposals so every establishment knows it has to serve and sell by the rules.
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