Wet-Dry referendums are likely in Walker County

Well, it has been a long time since I've been in the middle of a wet-dry referendum. Now, I think I'm going to see little ones all over the place.

As you may have heard, the Legislature overrode Gov. Bob Riley's veto the other day to allow cities with populations of 1,000 to 7,000 to have wet-dry referendums in those cities. A number equalling the the total of 30 percent of the voters in the last municipal general election can have their names on a petition sent to the city council. Then the council sets a wet-dry referendum on the sale of alcohol in that city.

Years ago, you used to see these countywide referendums that decided wet-dry issues, and they were grand affairs. In those days, it was the only time preachers got involved in politics, and you would hear a political stump speech right there on Sunday morning. I would not say this is true for all preachers, but some can make for great political stump speakers. We would hear a cascade of statistics about how alcohol can ruin lives (and much of it true, to be sure).

Meanwhile, there would be newspaper ads, flyers and all sorts of excitement. The pro-alcohol people would make their cases for economic progress, but they didn't have opportunities to speak...and even if they did, I wonder how many would have came out for it in public. It was usually faceless committees advocating going wet (much like these full-page bingo ads we now see in the paper that don't identify themselves, either). The pro-wet forces certainly had a hard time competing against those Sunday sermons and concern for families, and in the end they would usually lose in my neck of the woods.

Before I got to Walker County, the city of Jasper went wet, and it is no secret one can go over a couple of borders to get their alcohol. The small cities have always been jealous of the resources that Jasper and other areas have, and alcohol revenue can be included in that. Some of the towns may also be jealous of the bingo revenue, although Carbon Hill has it within its city. Some city departments or boards are benefiting to some extent from bingo revenue or donations. At the East Walker Chamber of Commerce banquet, Sipsey Mayor Anita Sanders was quick to point out renovations on local structures in her town were owed in large part to bingo money. But, as I said, only Carbon Hill actually has any bingo halls.

The envy over alcohol funds becomes more enflamed as the economic downturn has made it tough for the small towns to survive. Carbon Hill and Cordova have not been in great shape for a while, and Dora is undergoing an earthquake of sorts, losing 30 percent of its tax revenue (and possibly more, as Dora Mayor Chris Edwards is beginning to remember businesses lost within the past year).

There was a time when I couldn't imagine small towns with their small churches in rural areas of a county giving over to alcohol sales. But between the economy, changing outlooks and the foothold of electronic bingo, it has not taken long to hear positive responses toward getting alcohol sales. In fact, two towns are looking at it.

Carbon Hill, in fact, is practically jumping up and down to do it. I talked informally with council members and city officials after a called city council meeting before the override, and it was clear the city leaders had no problems with either bingo or alcohol.

After the override, Carbon Hill Mayor Chris Hart said, “We want to get our ducks in a row first,” adding he wants to city with city attorney and state Rep. Ken Guin to go over the bill. “This would boost our economy dramatically," he said.

Edwards, who will discuss dealing with the economic downturn in a called council meeting Thursday night, received several phone calls about the issue the day I called him. “I do think there is a strong push for it," he said.

He said it is an option the council will want to look at as alcohol sales would help to recruit a replacement for Food World (once the cash cow for Dora) or some other major restaurants that have passed over the city before. He said he understands Publix will not come to a city without alcohol sales, for example. He also noted the city deals with residents going to Jasper and Jefferson County on either side looking for alcohol.

Cordova Mayor Jack Scott said Tuesday he hadn't talked about it with the council, and he didn't know if it would pass considering the church vote. However, he would just as soon the alcohol revenue came to his town than to go to Jasper, saying something has to be done to pay the bills in Cordova. He would favor selling alcohol in retail settings, although he would oppose an open bar to yet.

The only public distancing from the issue came from Sumiton Mayor Petey Ellis, who said it had not been brought to the council and if someone brought it to them, then they would consider it. He also noted the city is in good financial shape. Maybe they do oppose alcohol sales. Still, that left a lot of wiggle room as far as taking a stand. That could come in handy if a petition is ever presented. For that matter, the wet forces in this old-fashioned small town might want to be positioned in an old-fashioned faceless committee. (It was interesting I brought it up at a city council meeting, and none of the other council members said a word about the subject.)

Mind you, petitions may not come tomorrow, but they could come in time. I have stated before in a column I am not really happy with the idea of going wet, but -- having fought against the tide of electronic bingo sweeping into the county that we are now awash in -- I am resigned that it may come anyway because of the desire to bring in restaurants and other establishments that won't come to a dry county.

What is almost incredible is that we haven't solved the bingo issue. The Alabama Legislature, in its infinite wisdom, not only didn't resolve that issue statewide, but threw another one in our lap to chew on at the same time. Now we have more controversy than ever before to go to war with each other over.

It's enough to drive someone to drink -- and they may drive all the way to the polls to do it.