One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
In the latest episode of "Utah Officials Pretending to Curb Alcohol Consumption While Actually Doing Nothing to Curb Alcohol Consumption," some state liquor commissioners and at least one legislative leader wants to consider a policy that could create a whole new criminal enterprise: fake out-of-state tourist I.D.s
While the Utah Liquor Commission voted Wednesday to have its staff draft legislation to do away with the private club fee requirement for imbibers, Commissioner Kathryn Balmforth wants to consider a two-week hospitality card for tourists who could use it to go into any establishment that serves liquor without paying a club fee. The proposal has the tentative backing of House Speaker Greg
Curtis, R-Sandy.
But like liquor commission rules and legislative liquor law enactments of the past, it doesn't seem the idea has been thought through very thoroughly.
You remember the old mini-bottle laws that forced consumers to drink 1.7 ounces of alcohol per drink rather than the 1 ounce measured squirt that was the custom at the time. That was passed because Utah officials didn't want any appearance of
liquor-by-the-drink. But it actually forced drinkers to get drunk faster.
Now, with Balmforth's proposal, how would the distributors of the hospitality cards know who is an out-of-stater, who qualifies for the cards that would get him or her into clubs with no fee, and who is a Utahn, who now would be discriminated against by still having to pay the fee.
In the custom of manufacturing fake I.D.'s for folks in the country illegally, a cottage industry could emerge to manufacture fake I.D.s for Utahns, making them look like Missourians, or Texans, or New Yorkers.
The underground could flourish in a new criminal enterprise just for Utahns.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
While the Utah Liquor Commission voted Wednesday to have its staff draft legislation to do away with the private club fee requirement for imbibers, Commissioner Kathryn Balmforth wants to consider a two-week hospitality card for tourists who could use it to go into any establishment that serves liquor without paying a club fee. The proposal has the tentative backing of House Speaker Greg
Curtis, R-Sandy.
But like liquor commission rules and legislative liquor law enactments of the past, it doesn't seem the idea has been thought through very thoroughly.
You remember the old mini-bottle laws that forced consumers to drink 1.7 ounces of alcohol per drink rather than the 1 ounce measured squirt that was the custom at the time. That was passed because Utah officials didn't want any appearance of
liquor-by-the-drink. But it actually forced drinkers to get drunk faster.
Now, with Balmforth's proposal, how would the distributors of the hospitality cards know who is an out-of-stater, who qualifies for the cards that would get him or her into clubs with no fee, and who is a Utahn, who now would be discriminated against by still having to pay the fee.
In the custom of manufacturing fake I.D.'s for folks in the country illegally, a cottage industry could emerge to manufacture fake I.D.s for Utahns, making them look like Missourians, or Texans, or New Yorkers.
The underground could flourish in a new criminal enterprise just for Utahns.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
10:08 AM
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