Apparently, in response to several new license applicants, the city administration offered a revised ordinance based on one for every 2,500 residents to the council. This would have created about seven new licenses. At the council meeting, several council members avoided the narrow view of catering to the special interests and felt comfortable with the 3,500 quota as it is. They also spoke out about the need to protect existing liquor licensee's in these extremely volatile economic times.
Yet, Wednesday’s Janesville Gazette transposed the council’s decision to leave the ordinance as it is as a poor signal to future developers.
JG Editorial Excerpt:This is a standard WMC talking point. It’s baloney!
But more important, if Wal-Mart can’t get a liquor license, it doesn’t reflect positively on the city as a friendly place to do business. Potential investors might be reluctant to invest here.
The city of Janesville has one of the most liberal TIF district hand-outs in the world and allowed a Super Wal-Mart to be built side-by-side with a Sam’s Warehouse in a new retail blow-out on the north side. Nobody could ever accuse Janesville city councils of ever NOT welcoming business, even if it KILLS our own business district!! The council's reasons this time to defend the liquor license quota based on growth came as a welcome breathe of fresh air. Bear in mind, we’re not talking about increasing lumber yards or automobile manufacturing plants here.
Although I enjoy a glass of fine red wine or two, when I think of economic growth, liquor stores are nowhere near the top businesses I would want my city council fighting for. Unfortunately, at least one council member embarrassingly fought like a corporate lobbyist on behalf of the unnamed special interests.
And instead of the Gazette applauding this quality-of-life decision, they come out swinging from their bully pulpit.
JG Editorial Excerpt:Sure but that doesn’t mean changing the rules in the middle of the game. By not granting additional liquor licenses on demand, the city council has taken a huge first step to ensure a clear and sober vision of economic growth and a destiny based on our own terms. This city still belongs to it's taxpaying occupants and our representatives need to carry out those wishes, not the wishes of the newspaper, Forward Janesville or some other special interest. And certainly not mine.
The city must welcome developers with open arms rather than take the narrow view of protecting existing businesses from competition.
But it takes a lot of cojones to conclude their editorial with that line considering the Gazette has a monopoly on local news and continues to expand their influence. The Janesville Gazette and their affiliates are the only local media source in town now that they've purchased CSI, the parent company of the Janesville Messenger. Obviously, a town of only 62,000 can’t afford a second news source based on growth, but we would certainly welcome at least one more based on competition.
3 comments:
The councilman and the newspaper are not only shilling for Wal-Mart. They were also blowing a smokescreen around the Halbachs trade-off to dismantle their stripclub in exchange for a liquor license. Since there are none available, the first step is to change the ordinance. Kudos to the four councilmembers who seen through it.
you knoe the city's in trouble when they consider paycheck loan outfits and more booze as positive economic development.
anonymous,
Good point. The Gazette has been testing the public response on this lately, throwing out the idea that a tavern is the lesser of the two evils. Obviously those are two separate issues
Tubes, I agree, those paycheck stores are a bad sign, but the council voted to help secure our economic future by keeping the liquor license availabilty based on growth. We're not down the tubes yet.
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