Liquor Question on the Ballot

The decision to sell wine and beer on Sunday in Lumpkin County is now in the hands of the voters. After months of arguments, editorials, speeches, and signs, the County Commission (by one vote) agreed to put the Sunday liquor sales referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The controversy surrounding Sunday sales centered on the people having a right to vote on an issue that affects the entire county. The argument ultimately doomed the political career of one Lumpkin's commissioner. Because of his stubbornness and refusal to allow the referendum to be put up to public vote, the people voted him out of office in August.

Emotions are still high regarding Sunday sales, on both sides of the issue. Our stance since the referendum first became an issue has been that the people have the right to vote...be it yes or no. But no matter which side of the debate you are on, please vote. Once the votes are tallied, the commissioners will know how their constituents feel on the issue...and the people will have spoken.

Liquor Referendum Makes the Ballot - At Last

Clarence Stowers casts deciding vote.

The Sunday beer and wine sales referendum will be on the ballot in November! The decision came Tuesday morning at the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners' meeting, with Commission Chairman John Raber breaking a 2 - 2 tie by voting YES to the referendum.

Commissioner Clarence Stowers, who had voted twice against the referendum, switched his vote to YES, joining Commissioner Bill Lewis on the YEAH side. Commissioners Tim Bowden and Clarence Grindle voted NO, as they had done previously when the issue was before the Board.

The pressure has been on the commissioners for months as Lumpkinites (including D&B) argued that the commissioners had denied voters the right to vote.

That public pressure seemed to be what changed Stowers' vote. When asked by The Dahlonega Nugget why he switched his vote, Stowers said he had not changed his mind on Sunday sales, but that he had changed his vote because "of the attacks," including attacks on his wife and mother. Some county employees had trouble doing their jobs because of all the calls on the Sunday sales issue, he said.

No matter what his reasons may have, Dahlonega and Beyond says, "Thank you, Mr. Stowers, for joining Mr. Lewis and Mr. Raber in giving the vote back to the people."

Let the People Vote

The Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners has a giant decision to make Tuesday night, July 17. Should they, or should they not, let the Lumpkin voters vote on Sunday liquor sales?

In two other 'Should the Voters Vote' decisions, three of the four county commissioners said NO. Only Commissioner Bill Scott voted to let citizens decide on the sale of beer and wine on Sunday.

The hope of an ever growing group of Lumpkinites is that at least one of the Negative Three will switch his No vote to Yes. If that happens, the tie breaker goes to Commission Chairman John Raburn, who has publicly stated that he supports the referendum.

The pressure is on the commission. Last month, the Dahlonega City Council voted to put the liquor referendum on the ballot for voters WITHIN the city of Dahlonega. If the city's referendum passes, then county businesses. This fact was acknowledged by all four commissioners in last week's issue of The Dahlonega Nugget.

D&B are not the only ones who feel that our right to vote is being held hostage by three men. The Nugget's editor Wayne Knuckles, in a strongly worded editorial in the same issue of the Nugget, urged the commissioners to "let the people have the final say." After all, he wrote, "The proper course of action, the fair thing to do, is to put the question before the voters."

D&B will be part of the crowd Tuesday night to see just what the commission decides.

It's time, commissioners, to let the people vote.

Say No to Tim Bowden

No Bowden signs throughout Lumpkin County.

Tim Bowden, who is running for re-election to Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners, District 2, is not a popular man. That is if the signs posted throughout the county recently are indication on his popularity.

Why the Bowden animosity? The primary reason is that he has been the strongest voice on the County Commission against the referendum to vote for Sunday wine and beer sales. Bowden voted at least twice to keep the referendum off the ballot and was the most vocal against proposal.

The overwhelming opinion in the county seems to be that the people want to vote on the issue. It's what the voters in dozens of counties across Georgia have done. But Bowden says No.

His contention, according to his public statements and articles in the Dahlonega Nugget, is that Sunday liquor sales will cause an increase in highway accidents and put a burden on our public service officers. Really, Mr. Bowden?

Fortunately, Bowden has an opponent in the upcoming July 31 election, Carlton Smith, who supports giving the public the right to vote on the referendum. Smith, like others who are running for the commission this year, believes that such an important decision should be up to the people, not by three commissioners.

Lumpkin's Gang of Three Vote NO Again

Well, the Lumpkin County Commission did it again. In their April meeting, the infamous Gang of Three (Tim Bowden, Clarence Stowers and Clarence Grindle) decided the referendum for Sunday Liquor Sales would NOT be on the November ballot.

The three commissioners didn't exactly vote NO on allowing the vote. What they voted on in meeting was to remove the topic from the meetings' agenda. "If we just don't talk about it," they surmise, "maybe this whole 'let the people vote' issue will just go away."

Unfortunately, Commissioners Bowden, Stowers and Grindle, the issue is NOT going away. The people of Lumpkin want the right to vote. If anyone doubts that, just pick up the latest issue of the Dahlonega Nugget, read the paper's news story on the meeting, and then read the angry Letters to the Editor.

Lamar Bates spoke out at the meeting and also penned one of those angry letters. In his speech to the commissioners, he challenged the Gang of Three to let the people decide. "It looks like you're scared to death to let the people vote," he said. "Church and state are to be separate, but not here in Lumpkin. You are interjecting your own beliefs into the issue. Put it out there and then let us (the voters) decide."

Lamar's letter, believe it or not, was even stronger. "Personally, I am embarrassed," he wrote, "by the recent Gang of Three - Bowden, Grindle, and Stowers - and their actions at the commission meeting. Their arrogant attitude let to the imposing an oligarchical government on the country."

But Lamar isn't the only 'Let the people vote' voice in the county. In another Letter to the Editor, Brad Musgrove wrote, "The simple fact that this issue continues to garner attention from both sides is reason enough to hand the issue to the voters of Lumpkin County."

Deborah Hunt's letter was just as pointed: "As someone recently said to me, 'The heritage of this county is alcohol, moonshine to be exact.' So does the heritage an history of this county cover seven days a week, or do we exclude Sundays? Come on commissioners, step into the 21st Century and put the matter on the ballot and let the people of the county. choose."

Bowden, Stowers and Grindle - Are you listening to the voters - or more importantly, do you read the local newspaper?

Lumpkin Commissioners to Consider Sunday Liquor Sales AGAIN

The people spoke, and obviously the Lumpkin County Commission listened...this time. In a meeting Tuesday, the commissioners agreed to ANOTHER hearing on a vote for Sunday Wine and Beer Sales.

For those of you who haven't been following the Great Sunday Liquor Sales controversy in Lumpkin, in February the County Commissioners voted 3 to 1 AGAINST a referendum to allow Sunday sales of beer and wine. After the commissioners' vote, people across the county were 'riled up', angry that they had been denied the right to vote on this issue. (A 2011 act by the Ga. Legislature allows local voters to decide on Sunday Liquor sales in their communities.)

One of the Commission's No Votes, Commissioner Tim Bowden, argued that if Sunday sales are allowed, Lumpkin would see 'possible and even probable' increase in DUIs and domestic violence incidents.

The lone Commissioner who wants Lumpkin voters to decide on this controversial issue is Commissioner Bill Scott. For his support of a public referendum, Commissioner Scott has been criticized by many in the county. Alternately, many (such as this writer) strongly support Commissioner Scott (who describes himself as a tea-teetotaler) for his belief that 'the people should decide'.

Dahlonega and Beyond will be attending the Tuesday, April 17, Commission meeting when the topic of a Sunday Wine and Beer Sales referendum is discussed again. Maybe this time, more proponents of the vote will be in attendance and those commissioners who voted NAY last time will be more OPEN to discussion. We're hoping the NO will become a YES.

Dahlonega and the Liquor Vote

The City Council of Dahlonega seems to be listening to the voters when it comes to Sunday beer and wine sales. That's something the 'Big Daddy' County Commission in Lumpkin County failed to do.

The topic of Sunday liquor sales has popped up at the Dahlonega City Council. The council has decided to hold a public hearing to discuss the possibility of an election on Sunday beer and wine sales within the city limits.

Last month, the County Commission voted NOT to give the Lumpkin voters the opportunity to say Yea or Nay on selling beer and wine on Sunday. The result - Voters got mad...really mad. (An indication of this were the multiple Letters to Editor and columns in the local Dahlonega Nugget.)

We can only hope that the Dahlonega council members believe in the right of the people to vote...something the Lumpkin commissioners don't seem to believe in.

No vote in Lumpkin on Sunday Liquor Sales

Disappointed. That’s the only word that really describes my feelings and that of so many others in Lumpkin County after hearing that our County Commission voted NOT to allow county residents to vote on Sunday beer and wine sales.

Last year, the Georgia Legislature voted to let Georgia citizens determine if their communities should have Sunday liquor sales. The exact wording of Senate Bill 10 is that “the governing authority of the county or municipality, as appropriate, may authorize package sales by a retailer of malt beverages and wine on Sundays between the hours of 12:30 P.M. and 11:30 P.M., if approved by referendum...”

The key wording here is not that the governing authority may authorize beer and wine sales...what our commissioners failed to focus on are the words, “if approved by referendum.” We citizens of Lumpkin have been denied the opportunity to that referendum – that chance to say Yes or No.

When the legislature passed the Sunday liquor sales bill, Georgia joined the 47 other states that okay Sunday beer and wine sales. Since the bill was approved, neighboring Hall, Forsyth, Dawson, and even the city of Dawsonville have allowed or are allowing their citizens the right to vote on the referendum.

So the question is, “Commissioners, why can’t you allow Lumpkin voters vote on this issue”? Yes, this is a republic and you were elected as representatives of the county, but, in that role, you need to listen to the will of ALL the people, and more importantly, abide by Georgia law.

Ga. Voters Approve Sunday Alcohol Sales

In Tuesday's election, voters across Georgia overwhelmingly approved the sale of alcohol on Sundays. In some cities, such as Grayson, Ga., voters said YES, not just to Sunday sales, but also to the sale of liquor for the first time within their city limits.

In nearby Hall county, Sunday sales were approved in Oakwood, Gainesville and Flowery Branch.

Unfortunately, Lumpkin, Dawson and Forsyth didn't have the option to vote on Sunday liquor sales. Perhaps, our commissioners will give us this opportunity next year. We need to be able to at least say YES or NO on an issue as important as this.
 

Read More - Sunday Sales Okayed