City council drinks in criticism over bylaw (Kamloops)

Reposting of article March 3, 2007
By MARKUS ERMISCH Staff reporterMar 02 2007 http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/

Regulating the price of alcoholic drinks is a practice befitting a communist dictatorship, not Kamloops council, a local restaurant owner told civic lawmakers this week. “I don’t think council should be in the business to create a level playing field,” Frank d’Amore told council Tuesday. “Then we should move to a country like China, a non-democracy, where they tell you what to do.” D’Amore, who owns the Fogg ‘n’ Suds pub and Frankly Coffee coffee shop in the downtown core, said council’s 7-1 decision sets a precedent and opens the door for future intervention in business. “It’s not free enterprise; it’s regulating free enterprise,” he said.

Council decided on the bylaw, which sets the minimum drink price at $3, to curb binge drinking and associated ills like vandalism and pub brawls. D’Amore said that based on informal talks with police, he doubts the bylaw will achieve its objective. Most fights outside of bars, he pointed out, occur on weekends, when drink prices are at their highest. Retired bar owner Joe Weibe also opposed the bylaw, saying the ultimate regulation of alcoholic beverages — Prohibition — failed. Bars and restaurants are already regulated by various organizations, such as the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch and WorkSafe B.C., he said.

“It would be a conspiracy if people conjoined to fix prices,” he said. “Price fixing is price fixing, no matter what the product is.” The city’s police committee first began contemplating minimum prices about a year ago as a means to solve social problems. Council later surveyed bars and restaurants with a liquor licence. Of the 37 per cent of businesses that returned completed surveys to city hall, 57 per cent opposed price regulations. There was, however, a marked difference between food-primary and liquor-primary licensees: of the former, 66 per cent of those surveyed were opposed to price regulation, while 60 per cent of the latter were in favour of the move.

Coun. Tina Lange, owner of the Hello Toast restaurant on Victoria Street, was the bylaw’s lone opponent. “My concern with setting prices is that we’re regulating an area that’s none of our business,” she said. Mayor Terry Lake was of a different opinion. “We regulate a lot of things,” he said. “This is a small tool that will help us.” Lake said he doesn’t believe regulating the price of alcoholic drinks will “impinge on business.” Coun. Peter Milobar, whose family runs a bar and restaurant at The Place Inn, did not vote on the issue due to conflict of interest concerns.
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By JIM HARRISONMar 04 2007 http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/
If municipal politicians had the corner on fiscal prudence, their intrusion into the private sector might be excused. But they don’t, which is why the Kamloops council vote imposing minimum drink prices on bars and pubs is wrong-headed and ill-considered. Municipal politicians believe they have this infinite pot of money to draw from to pay for civic services and whatever whim they choose to include under that umbrella. Not so in the private sector, where service and product value, among other factors, are the keys to longevity and success. It’s why some bars and pubs use discount drink nights as part of a marketing strategy. They don’t have taxpayers to shake down whenever they want more money. If discount-drink nights have some negative side effects, there are laws to deal with them and, presumably, police to enforce them.

Some bars have cheap wing nights. Do we legislate price next on chicken wings, because their presence might make people thirstier? Some offer free peanuts and popcorn — maybe there should be a minimum price established because they, too, have the potential to cause people to drink more. Whats next on the municipal business hit list? Some people think fast food is not healthy, so does council consider a minimum price on burgers and fries? On milk shakes and ice cream? On candy sold in stores? It’s a dark and deep hole council has stepped into and, as well-intentioned as it might be, venturing into this territory is something that begs for serious reconsideration.