Taking A Stand: Is liquor on its way to McMinnville?
Will McMinnville get legal liquor? Will the city pass a local option sales tax increase? Will the state get a lottery? Will the voters chose to increase fines for code violators?
This year has an abundance of choices for the voters, not only in political races, but in referendum questions. These choices have brought voters out to the polls in mass already, as everyone wants to express their opinion. Even in regular election years, there’s nothing like hot-topic referendum questions to get voters motivated.
The hottest race, without a doubt, is the liquor question. The topic has polarized voters, with neighbors simultaneously displaying for and against liquor signs within feet of one another in their neighborhoods. Seeing the measure fail by 10 votes two years ago has made both sides work much harder this time.
As for who will win, there’s no way to tell because many who will vote for liquor this time, will not just out and tell you how they will vote. One thing is for certain though, there are a lot more pro-liquor signs out this year, given the fact there was no real organized campaign effort last time. On the other side of the aisle, the anti-liquor faction has doubled its efforts in the face of a pro-liquor surge, putting out wrecked cars on the side of the road for shock value and going door to door. Both sides know this one will be close.
While liquor is a hot-button topic, there’s another controversial question on the ballot, that being the increase in city sales tax. There’s a lot of people who live outside the city limits who are pretty hot about the question, seeing they can’t vote on the city question, yet they will be paying the higher tax when they shop in town.
I’ve heard several non-city residents saying it wasn’t fair to them, seeing they’ll be paying the higher tax in the city without having a chance to vote on it. Of course, the non-city voters would immediately vote it down since they would have no possibility of a benefit.
As for the voters who decide the question, the allure of voting for a higher sales tax is the possibility of lower city property taxes. Of course, given the suspicious nature of the electorate, I’ve got my questions on whether they’ll vote for a tax increase without having something in writing about lower property taxes.
I can’t recall voters voting a tax increase on themselves before. And, voters are always weary of being sucked into a Catch-22 where they are paying both a higher sales tax and the same old property tax.
The lottery is a done deal. Unlike the other questions, the lottery has a lot of support. There has been a fairly big effort against the measure, but the people of Tennessee have been calling for a lottery like our border states have for years.
The statement that the lottery hurts the families who have the least doesn’t cut it with me, and I don’t think it’ll cut it with the rest of the state. Those who would spend their last dollar on a lottery ticket would probably spend that last dollar on a pack of cigarettes, a six-pack of Bud or maybe a hit of meth. If you’re so pathetic you’d spend your family’s last dollar on a lottery ticket, then, the lottery is the least of your concerns because you’re a useless piece of society already, with or without a lottery.
As for the last question, the one that has all but been forgotten, it’s a crap shoot. No one really knows much about the measure to raise the maximum fines in municipal courts. I think most voters will be scratching their heads when they see it, but I believe they will pass it because they will believe it only affects the other guy.
But hey, nothing like a good referendum to get the excitement going. I believe we’ll see record voters this year, thanks to the questions and not the candidates.
(Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].)