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http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-beer17.html
Ordinance would prohibit sale of 'liquid crack'
November 17, 2005
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter Advertisement
Forty-ounce bottles of beer and malt liquor -- some of it so cheap and potent it's known on the street as "liquid crack" -- would be banned in Chicago under an ordinance proposed by Bridgeport's alderman.
Fed up with public drunkenness and the litter, loitering and public urination that come with it, Ald. James Balcer (11th) wants to broaden the ban against selling individual cans and bottles of beer, flavored malt beverages, and malt liquor or ale.
Chicago already prohibits the sale of single cans and bottles 16 ounces or less, although that ordinance is sporadically enforced. Balcer's crackdown would apply to all sizes, but the real target is the 40-ouncer.
On Wednesday, the City Council's License Committee took testimony, but no action on the proposed crackdown amid opposition from the liquor industry.
"I'm not supporting a Prohibition on liquor. I do not intend to be Carrie Nation [the militant anti-booze crusader from a century ago]. We simply need to discuss these 40-ounce bottles. Some of them are $1.59 a bottle. Some of them, the [alcohol] content is like six shots of whiskey," said Balcer.
"I'm not talking about banning it completely. Just don't sell these individual bottles over the counter. . . . The people who buy this usually do not have the money to buy a six-pack or more. They come out of the liquor store -- this is what they've got in their hand: a bottle of this 40-ounce stuff. I went to one store. He told me this was his biggest seller. Who does he sell it to? He sells it to alcoholics and drunks."
'Degenerate' drinkers cited
Bridgeport resident Maggie Finucane, who chairs the Deering police district advisory council, said the over-sized beer bottles are the drink of choice for the "degenerates" who make life miserable for area residents. "They congregate in the park near the library, which affects the families and the children who need to use the library," she said.
David Vite, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, warned that Balcer's ban would have "unintended consequences."
Larger containers of Foster's, Heineken and Corona -- "imported premium" beers -- would no longer be available either, if the alderman has his way.
"The tactic will impact [Metra] commuters who want a quick beer after a long week, particularly in the summer," he said.
"It'll affect legitimate citizens who are simply having a beer on a hot summer night or a cold winter's eve with their family -- not in the alleys or under the bridges."
'Money above human life'
John Engel, vice president of marketing for Chicago Beverage Systems LLC, an independent distributor on the West Side, put a financial price tag on Balcer's ban. He estimated that it would cost: $650,000 in lost liquor tax revenues; $1.9 million in lower state sales taxes; and a 15 percent drop in business at his company alone, forcing the layoff of up to 20 employees.
"I don't believe what I just heard. He's putting money above human life," Balcer said.
When the hearing ended, Balcer's co-sponsor, License Committee Chairman Eugene Schulter (47th), said he didn't want to "throw the baby out with the bath water."
He talked about persuading retailers in problem areas to stop selling over-sized containers of beer and malt liquor. If need be, the ordinance could be rewritten to ban only 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor, Schulter said.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-beer17.html
Ordinance would prohibit sale of 'liquid crack'
November 17, 2005
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter Advertisement
Forty-ounce bottles of beer and malt liquor -- some of it so cheap and potent it's known on the street as "liquid crack" -- would be banned in Chicago under an ordinance proposed by Bridgeport's alderman.
Fed up with public drunkenness and the litter, loitering and public urination that come with it, Ald. James Balcer (11th) wants to broaden the ban against selling individual cans and bottles of beer, flavored malt beverages, and malt liquor or ale.
Chicago already prohibits the sale of single cans and bottles 16 ounces or less, although that ordinance is sporadically enforced. Balcer's crackdown would apply to all sizes, but the real target is the 40-ouncer.
On Wednesday, the City Council's License Committee took testimony, but no action on the proposed crackdown amid opposition from the liquor industry.
"I'm not supporting a Prohibition on liquor. I do not intend to be Carrie Nation [the militant anti-booze crusader from a century ago]. We simply need to discuss these 40-ounce bottles. Some of them are $1.59 a bottle. Some of them, the [alcohol] content is like six shots of whiskey," said Balcer.
"I'm not talking about banning it completely. Just don't sell these individual bottles over the counter. . . . The people who buy this usually do not have the money to buy a six-pack or more. They come out of the liquor store -- this is what they've got in their hand: a bottle of this 40-ounce stuff. I went to one store. He told me this was his biggest seller. Who does he sell it to? He sells it to alcoholics and drunks."
'Degenerate' drinkers cited
Bridgeport resident Maggie Finucane, who chairs the Deering police district advisory council, said the over-sized beer bottles are the drink of choice for the "degenerates" who make life miserable for area residents. "They congregate in the park near the library, which affects the families and the children who need to use the library," she said.
David Vite, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, warned that Balcer's ban would have "unintended consequences."
Larger containers of Foster's, Heineken and Corona -- "imported premium" beers -- would no longer be available either, if the alderman has his way.
"The tactic will impact [Metra] commuters who want a quick beer after a long week, particularly in the summer," he said.
"It'll affect legitimate citizens who are simply having a beer on a hot summer night or a cold winter's eve with their family -- not in the alleys or under the bridges."
'Money above human life'
John Engel, vice president of marketing for Chicago Beverage Systems LLC, an independent distributor on the West Side, put a financial price tag on Balcer's ban. He estimated that it would cost: $650,000 in lost liquor tax revenues; $1.9 million in lower state sales taxes; and a 15 percent drop in business at his company alone, forcing the layoff of up to 20 employees.
"I don't believe what I just heard. He's putting money above human life," Balcer said.
When the hearing ended, Balcer's co-sponsor, License Committee Chairman Eugene Schulter (47th), said he didn't want to "throw the baby out with the bath water."
He talked about persuading retailers in problem areas to stop selling over-sized containers of beer and malt liquor. If need be, the ordinance could be rewritten to ban only 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor, Schulter said.