C.A.L.L. C ITIZENS A GAINST THE L EGALIZATION OF L IQUOR P.O. Box 958 / Hartwell, GA

About Liquor-By-The-Drink What are they trying to lead you to believe about liquor-by-the-drink? What are the important facts concerning liquor- by-the-drink?

LICENSING City and county government will have the authority to limit the licensing of mixed drink sales to restaurants, motels, and private clubs. Regardless of what you may have heard, the legalization of mixed drinks will not put a bar on every corner

LICENSING Once you approve a liquor by the drink referendum, you, as a citizen, are left to depend upon politicians to determine the scope and availability of liquor. Ordinances are drawn up by councilmen and commissioners and not citizens.

PROGRESS We need to offer business people and visitors a wider variety of dining. Mixed drink sales will encourage more restaurants. The Hartwell area will be continually passed over by businesses and industry due to the lack of restaurants and other amenities.

PROGRESS It is a known fact that restaurants are drawn to an area by population figures. Until more industry is in place to provide jobs, restaurants will not come. A community that is alcohol-free is more attractive to industry than the availability of restaurants.

REVENUE A vote to legalize the sale of mixed drinks is a vote for new tax revenues. It has been estimated that $.50 of the cost of every mixed drink sold in Georgia goes to the state and local governments. Nothing could be fairer, because only the alcohol consumer pays the tax. It is time that the Hartwell area gets its fair share of this important tax source

REVENUE The costs resulting from the consumption of alcohol far exceed the tax benefits received from it. To be specific, Georgians have paid as high as $10.55 for alcohol abuse every $1 generated in tax revenue.

COMMUNITY Whether you drink or not is your decision. Regardless of your choice, you can support your community by voting yes for controlled pouring, yes for a new source of revenue, and yes to give the Hartwell area an equal chance in attracting new industry and business.

COMMUNITY The assumption must not be made that support for one’s community can only be measured by dollars and cents. Health, safety, and family values are not measured by what you have, but by who you are!

LEGALIZATION Liquor-by-the-drink is not a religious issue, but rather one of legalization. Liquor is already here, its just not been legalized.

LEGALIZATION For many, the issue of drinking is a religious issue, but more importantly, it is a moral issue. The legalization of another social evil will just complicate matters. By legalizing liquor-by- the-drink, we are communicating to our youth that it is acceptable, because it is legal.

INSIGNIFICANT Liquor-by-the-drink would not have a significant impact on drinking and driving, since people who go to other counties for liquor still have to drive back.

INSIGNIFICANT DUI arrests will increase. For example: after liquor-by-the-drink was legalized in Gwinnett County, DUI arrests increased from 1,033 in the first six months of 1984 to 1,522 in the first six months of This is a fifty percent increase. Gwinnett County Police reported that most of the arrests were concentrated in areas of the county where there are liquor-by-the-drink outlets.

INSIGNIFICANT According to the study “ Effectiveness of Bans and Laws in Reducing Traffic Deaths: Legalized Sunday Packaged Alcohol Sales and Alcohol-Related Traffic Crashes and Crash Fatalities in New Mexico”, there was a 29% increase in alcohol- related crashes and a 42% increase in alcohol-related fatalities during the 10 year period following the lifting of the Sunday ban on alcohol.

SOPHISTICATED Sophisticated clientele who already drink beer and wine at restaurants will know not to drink and drive when hard liquor is offered.

SOPHISTICATED It is the height of deception to believe that one’s economic status is a deterrent from the abuse of alcohol. The number of those addicted to alcohol is intimately related to the number of alcohol consumers. ‘Social drinking’ and ‘alcoholism’ are not unrelated phenomena. To the contrary, as the number of social drinkers increase, so does the number of alcoholics. Social drinkers produce more drunk drivers.

OPPORTUNITY Most of our youth do not stay in the community to work due to lack of opportunity. I think it would help the community as far as economic development and job opportunities.

OPPORTUNITY Just think of the job opportunities liquor by the drink would bring for Hart County youth: ·Bartenders ·Bar Maids ·Bouncers Are these the type of jobs that will keep our youth from moving away?

ACCESSIBILITY If people are going to drink, they will get it some how. Legalizing it will not increase the number of people who drink.

ACCESSIBILITY The easy accessibility caused by liquor-by-the-drink makes for more consumption! The more convenient legal outlets there are, the more consumption, the more drunkenness, the more drinking and driving - the end result of which is – more deaths.

GROWTH Liquor by the drink will give us more opportunities to grow like the larger cities in Georgia.

GROWTH Most people don’t want to be like Atlanta! What makes Hartwell great is that it is not like the big cities!

TOURISM If Hartwell and Hart County have liquor-by-the-drink we can attract more tourism to our area.

TOURISM Do we want the type of tourism that liquor-by-the-drink attracts? Liquor-by-the-drink creates an environment that fosters an increase in crime: assaults, domestic violence, sex-related crimes, gambling, and even murders! Hart County would become only a ‘nice place to visit’ not a place to live.

CHOICE Even though I don’t drink, I think everyone should have the choice to drink!

CHOICE With all the pain and problems that alcohol produces, concerned citizens should be working toward placing more, not fewer restrictions on the sale of alcohol. They should be working to reduce alcohol consumption, not increase it.