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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3/6/09
Contact: Suzanne Redmond (315) 255-3045
To the Editor,
If grocery stores are authorized to sell wine, as
proposed by Governor Paterson, small liquor stores throughout the Finger
Lakes region would be devastated. It is estimated that over 1,000 small
businesses would close, resulting in a loss of more than 4,000 jobs
statewide.
It is unfair to assist one segment of the retail market
(grocery stores, etc.) over another (liquor stores). Small businesses
are the lifeblood of our communities and in a time of economic
uncertainty, we should be doing all that we can to help ensure their
sustainability, not detracting from their bottom lines.
While big stores such as Wal-Mart and grocery stores
would greatly benefit from this change, many small businesses that have
indicated that 65 percent to 80 percent of their overall sales are
devoted to wine would suffer greatly. How are they supposed to make up
such a staggeringly large portion of their sales?
In addition, as the Ranking Minority Member of the
Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, I know that allowing the sale of
wine in grocery stores will vastly increase youth access. Underage
drinking has reached epidemic levels in New York and increasing
availability is a very dangerous idea. We have seen that in states
where wine is available for purchase in grocery stores, the number of
alcohol-related fatalities is more than double that in New York.
Some plans sound good at first glance. However, when
you truly look at the harm that will be caused if Governor Paterson's
plan to sell wine in grocery stores is to be put into effect, it becomes
obvious that this is not the right choice. Liquor stores, anti-drunk
driving advocates and even representatives from grocery stores oppose
this plan. As such, I will strongly oppose this idea in the Legislature
and continue to fight for the rights of small-business owners.
Sincerely,
Assemblyman Gary D.
Finch
123rd District
Mike Avella Jr.
Press Coordinator
NYS Assembly Minority
(518) 455-5981
F (518) 455-5057 |
