Explanation: Below is a letter to the editor of the Mesquite News. There were three things which prompted this letter. One were comments made by Mr. Gary Huddleston which aired on May 2, 2011 on WBAP (96.7 FM/820 AM-Dallas/Fort Worth). His comment regarded the issue of “the myth” of crime and alcohol sales. The second issue is the ongoing two faced/underhanded ways the city counsel of Mesquite, Texas continues to shirk their responsibilities as citizen leaders while at the same time quietly making deals with the liquor industry. They continue to place the whip on the backs of the citizens to keep the city clean through ordinances on residential properties, but are unwilling to do their part by leading the citizens to rally against the issue of beer and wine sales. The final reason that prompted this letter is the apparent and very disgusting way in which the election was viewed. Because the city counsel chickened out on their responsibilities to make this issue well know very few people realized it was on the ballet. I for one spoke 25 to 30 people only two to three days before the election. None of them had any idea that it was on the ballet. Also, those who were for this being passed are now gloating. I plan on attempting to rally as many people as possible to take this fight back to them and repeal this on the next election. For those who are friends of mine in Forney…according to my sources your next.
Disingenuous Myths And Destructive Outcomes
I believe that the title to you May 19th lead “Election Day cheers” is very misleading and I find Mr. Gary Huddleston very disingenuous as well. I also feel that the leadership in Mesquite deserves the tagged call of hypocrites as well. I realize by starting my thoughts off this way you will probably give very little attention to what I am about to say, but then again we no longer live in the land of free speech and truthful reporting any more do we? Allow me to build my case and you can determine if what I am saying is worth your time. Then again this will start showing up on several conservative blogs anyway.
Let me start with Mr. Gary Huddleston, who in an interview with WBAP on May 2, 2011 stated that it was time to debunk the myth that crime and alcohol sales were tied together. With authority in his voice he claimed that the surrounding communities had proven what he believed because their crime rate had not increased significantly since they voted wine and beer sales in. It is very clear that Mr. Huddleston is not very well versed in the facts of this issue. First, he cites no studies. However, there are plenty of studies to state otherwise. In 2007 Berkley University in California did a statistical study regarding this question in a paper called “Do Liquor Stores Increase Crime and Urban Decay? Evidence from Los Angeles’” (www.colgate.edu/portaldata/imagegallerywww/2050/.../teh_jobmktpaper.pdf). The answer in the paper is a resounding yes. There is no question that liquor sales, especially from liquor stores do lead to greater aggravated crimes. This means that the sales of a substance which is often abused leads to greater spousal/significant other abuse, stronger risk of child neglect and abuse, robbery of the establishment itself as well as the community at large; and assaults, battery, murder, and alcohol related deaths by accidents go up proportionately as a result. (www.sacbee.com/static/maps/crimemap.html) Also, don’t forget that now that we have this as something that will be substantially available; the criminal activity of juvenile abuse of this substance will go up. That means any tax monies brought into the city will be used form special law enforcement units that will have to covertly police this situation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed that communities would need to spend anywhere between 15,000 to 20,000 extra dollars a year to cut down on this issue alone. (www.pachiefs.org/.../NHTSA%20HVE%20Youth%20Access%20to%20Alcohol%20Demo%20R...) In some situations it can be up to 50,000 dollars a year. (http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2005-09-27/full_text) What will need to be understood is that cost would increase every year, it is not a one time thing. In fact the crime which goes with liquor sales was so bad in south Berkley, California that in 2005 a campaign was launched to drive the liquor industry out.( www.dailycal.org/article/18063) Therefore we can clearly see what Mr. Huddleston believes is the real myth. Also, if Mr. Huddleston really cared about our city he would not have continued to waste tax payer’s monies by continually bringing it up. Remember it cost to have propositions placed on the ballet itself.
Second, I think it is ironic that you have two articles one on page 2A and the other on page 3A. The one on page 2A deals with “Fishin’ at the park” where families are encouraged to bring their children out for a day of fishing at City Lake Park. Nothing wrong with that. The other was called “Spring Cleaning” where we are being encouraged to bring our recyclable items to Poteet High School in order to help keep our city clean. Nothing wrong with that! However in light of the election and what is about to expire I find it ironic and hypocritical. While I know that our city counsel did not indorse the wine and beer sales, they have been very quiet about it. It reminds me of Edmund Burke’s statement, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” In the realm of law a person who does not assist someone who has been injured by someone else, is as guilty as the person who was the perpetrator. The same is true here. Our city counsel showed no leadership on this issue. Also, they continue to heap more and more ordinances on the citizens, but ignore the fact that the city will become more and more polluted with beer cans and bottles. Many friends I have who live on the edge of the Mesquite and Balch Springs border will attest to the fact that they clean more beer bottles and cans out of the yards then they use too. A recent study shows that when alcohol is just introduced into the home, children residing at that residence are 30 times more likely to become alcoholics. If it is consumed in front of them and introduced to them at an early age (6 years to 20 years of age) they are 50 times more likely to become alcoholics.( http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/alcohol/teens-who-drink-with-adult-supervision-have-more-drinking-problems-study-finds) Funny to the Mesquite News never brought this study up during this vote. If our city really wants to stay clean more ordinances is not the answer. And if we want to be known as a family friendly city, more sponsored activities alone will not do it. I can pretty well bet that at some of the larger city sponsored activities liquor will be sold there as well. Our city leaders should have stood up and denounced the idea of liquor sales. I know they could not have stopped the voters from voting on it, but they could have shown some backbone and lead the way.
Last, allow me to take time to stroll down memory lane. The year was 1979 or 1980. Those years were remembered for a lot of things; being one of the coldest winters on record; having a hard fought political battle for the White House; the death of 7 teenagers on Beltline Road as the result of a drunk driver. I was a freshman in high school during that time. In 2005 I was handed the name of a gentleman from the ministries at First Baptist Sunnyvale. They wanted me to go visit a man. My wife and I went to a run down apartment in Balch Springs and knocked on the door. A gentleman came to the door and we asked for the person we were looking for. He stated that the person we were inquiring about was not there. We left our materials along with ministry cards and returned home. A few days later one of the staff members from Sunnyvale contacted me and asked that I call the gentleman that evening. I made the phone call. The person we had met at the door was the person we were looking for. He quickly apologized and began to tell me a story that made my hair stand on end. The man I was talking too was the man who had killed those teenagers that fateful night. His life was never the same; it was eaten by guilt, drugs, alcohol, and dependant relationships. He had no true frame of mind to really work with. That night of the accident he left with some minor injuries. The woman with him had a broken arm, but all seven teenagers in the other car were dead. They only lived a few blocks from where the accident happened. This is only one example of many that could be brought up in regards to alcoholic driving. Not only that but because these kinds of accidents will become more prevalent we can expect our car insurance to go up as well. Mine already has and according to my agent, this election had something to do with it.
My final thought is that Mr. Huddleston and his group should not gloat over this too much, it was only a 1% win. They won by 150 votes. That means the citizenship in this city are heavily divided over this issue. The fight is not over! I suggest that those of us, who oppose the sale, regroup and take the fight back to them on the next elections. And maybe by that time we will have the courage to vote some real leadership onto the city counsel and vote the liquor out.
Thank You,
Steven Swaim
President and Founder of Be Devoted Ministries
www.bedevotedministries.blogspot.com
I am available for speaking engagements. Please feel free and contact me with any questions.
