Alcohol Position

I am AGAINST liquor stores, corner bars or alcohol sales in convenience stores in Jonesboro.  As your Mayor, I pledge to work as hard as anyone to never let that happen -- PERIOD.

Nearly everyone I talk to shares this position, but good, honest citizens have a difference of opinion when it comes to the best way to accomplish it…

…some citizens believe the best answer is a total prohibition of any alcohol sales within the city, while other citizens believe total prohibition in Jonesboro would backfire, and bring about the very thing we all want to prevent most. 

Most people I’ve talked with who support limited sale of alcohol for economic development purposes are now satisfied and would stand against a movement to vote us completely wet.

I believe that limited sale of alcohol as it now exists—restricted to restaurants with private permits—decreases the likelihood of any serious movement to vote Jonesboro completely wet.  My fear is that if Jonesboro ever implemented total prohibition, then a successful wet vote is far more likely.  If this occurred, it would bring with it all of the problems that a clear majority of our citizens are united against.

As with any controversial issue, we can argue over our differences or choose to find the common ground that unites us.   With the recent changes to state law, the trade-off of having several more restaurants with private club permits is a small price to pay to protect our community from possibly having to deal with liquor stores and corner bars and all the problems they pose in the future.