Vote NO! on Question 1

In the hustle and bustle of election time, sometimes its hard to wrap your head around one particular candidate because, at the end of the day, you are really voting on a person instead of actual public policy. Luckily our democratic system allows the people to vote on policy in the form of ballot questions. The staff at CleggThis (a.k.a.....me) always find comfort in rallying around the ballot questions since it directly affects the world around me.

In the state of Massachusetts it always seems that Question 1 is the hot topic issue. Some of you may remember the bogus Question 1 of 1997 that passes banning inhumane hunting traps. The reason this was bogus was that no one uses inhuman traps anymore and any traps that may linger in the woods were out there almost 20 years ago. The real issue that passes were unfair hunting laws that were buried in the public eye by television ads of puppies with legs cut off. Now, in 2006, there is another question up for vote that has the same implications.

Question 1, if passed, will allow grocery stores to sell wine in the state. You may say "but CleggThis, this will allow me to purchase wine for my dinner party all in one place instead of going to two." Fortunately, CleggThis doesn't care about your dinner party because you punked out and served chicken instead of steak.

The problem here is not public safety. There as been no evidence that supports wine sold at grocery stores contributes to more drunk driving and underage drinking. Although the fact that my friends in high school stole an electric handicap cart from the store, during business hours, in broad daylight, suggests that the staff at these establishments doesn't have public safety on the forefront.

The problem with the question is local business. The initiative to put Question 1 on the ballot comes from corporations like Stop + Shop and Shaws, whos only real motivation is to increase sales in an industry that kills local businesses already.

Luckily in the state of Massachusetts the sale of alcholic beverages has been reserved for local businesses. There are no state liquor stores as in New Hampshire. There are very few chain stores in Massachusetts and those that are have a limited number of stores. There is no other reason to pass this ballot execpt to pad the pockets these stores.

Please take a closer look at this issue before you vote "Yes" just so you can get a bottle of red and a bottle of white in the same building as you purchase your Triscuit crackers.