Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz has fired off a statement criticizing Governor Paterson’s proposal to sell wine permits to grocery stores, bodegas, and gas stations. Statewide it would introduce 19,000 new outlets for wine shoppers and bring in millions of dollars in permit sales, but the assemblyman said the increase in underage drinking and drunk driving makes it a bad deal.
What do you think? And how will it contribute to Sheepshead Bay’s problems, which we’ve noted suffers from a ridiculous number of wine and spirit shops and has unusually high drunk driving statistics?
From Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’s office (as usual with press releases, just imagine a big, fat [sic] next to the entire thing):
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) has termed Governor Paterson’s proposal, part of today’s budget message to the Legislature, “a dangerous scheme to raise money at the expense of the wellbeing of New Yorkers. While the initial sale of new wine merchant licenses will realize millions of dollars for the State, it is a onetime revenue raiser that puts our state’s residents at peril for decades to come.
Cymbrowitz was referring to the Governor, once again including a plan to allow grocery stores, gas stations, bodegas, mini-marts and corner delis to sell wine, as part of his budget balancing strategy. “By proposing a plan to legalize wine sales in 19,0000 new outlets, Governor Paterson has once again made a terrible mistake that will only increase underage drinking, lead to more drunk driving, and hurt small businesses across New York State. There is no question that New Yorkers will be put in danger with this misguided attempt to bring in more revenue. Currently the State Liquor Authority has only 38 inspectors regulating 70,000 license holders. Increasing the inspection team’s workload by almost one-third is a recipe for disaster.”
