News Hopes for AIAs Trashed
posted by on July 26 at 15:19 PM
by Rebecca Tapscott
In two years, the City will release a final study ascertaining the effectiveness of Seattle’s Alcohol Impact Areas, aimed at deterring chronic inebriates. However, concerned neighbors like Katie Comer, staff member of Pioneer Square Community Association, can already tell it’s not working.
“It was great for about a week,” Comer says about the new Liquor Board rules, which ban a list of name-brand beers and wines with high alcohol content and a low price. “Then they switched [from Steel Reserve] to Icehouse.” A shrewd swap—both beers have over 8% alcohol content.
The Washington State Liquor Board acknowledges this staggering loophole, but explains that a formula approach, which could ban beers with a certain alcohol content and price, is unfair to producers. According to current rules, community members must show a link from the product (by name) to the problem. This leaves community members gathering littered beer cans in order to update the banned-products list.
"Unfair to producers"? Banning the whole category would not be unfair to producers. What's unfair is banning all but one product in the category.
Doesn't work. Next thing you know, the bums will switch to Rainier and cheap shit. It's a dumb idea that just doesn't work, and hurts the common man who DOES have a job and a home in the process.
I hope this kills the AIA dead.
But Gomez, for that to happen, you'd have to assume that abject failure is enough to stop a feel-good program lots of local politicos have invested personal political capital in. Or that rationality will in any way rule the day. More likely they'll just try and make ALL of Seattle an AIA.
(Of course, that won't work either, but that's not likely to stop our posturing Mayor and Councilmembers from trying it anyway!)
I walk by PILES of empty Icehouse cans every day, and see certain local "outdoor drinkers" drinking Icehouse every day. These boys aren't drinking it for the flavor. Icehouse: over 8 percent. Run-of-the-mill cheap beer has what, 3.5 to 5 percent? I don't know. I'm new in town, and don't know if the AIA has helped, but I'll be damned if I don't see Icehouse cans all over my neighborhood (Lower Queen Anne).
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