Beech Tree News Network

My name is Bruce White, and I dearly love Butler County.  I have lived here all my life and feel the upcoming vote on legalizing alcohol is very important.  If it passes it will have a negative impact on our county.  My opinion is based on the following experiences:
I started drinking alcohol when I was 13 years old and drank until I was 48 years old.  No one ever coerced me to drink or poured any down my throat.  I did this of my own free will.  At best I was a problem “binge” drinker going sometimes months without drinking.  But when I drank, I consumed too much and drove many, many times under the influence.  To this day I am ashamed of many things that I did while under the influence of alcohol.
I am sharing this to assure you that I am not pointing fingers, condemning, or judging anyone for drinking alcohol.  It is simply a brief history of my firsthand experience with alcohol.
My own family has seen death and destruction caused by the consumption of alcohol.  These are very painful memories, and I will not go into detail.  Many, many people in Butler County can say the same thing about their family’s history.  If this measure passes, our county’s total alcohol consumption will definitely go up.  This is a fact, and more heartache and sorrow will follow.
Proponents of the alcohol initiative will tell you that they intend to change the culture of Butler County.  Our culture has been formed over a period of about 225 years.  I very much like our culture for the most part.  If you would like to witness some of the culture changes these people are promoting then eat dinner at 8pm at one of our local restaurants some Saturday night.  The next Saturday drive about fifteen miles past the Rochester Dam and stop at the first restaurant in Central City that serves alcohol.  Try to arrive at 8pm and eat dinner with your family and see firsthand the cultural changes these folks are promoting.  A reliable person has told me that these liberal planners are already planning  “beer gardens” at the Catfish Festival.  This type of cultural change is not for me and is not what our county needs.
Yes I used the word liberals.  All liberals do not live in California, New York, and Washington D.C..  Our local liberals are relatively small in number but are very vocal and energized.  And yes Americans have the right to be liberals but please own it.
I am conservative as are most Butler Countians.  I do not know one person in this county, regardless of party affiliation, who is ashamed of being called conservative if that is their political persuasion.
This liberal group is currently promoting the alcohol initiative and a 3% restaurant tax.  Next on their agenda, I believe, is county-wide planning and zoning, and metro government.  This formidable group, I believe, represents less than 10% of our population.  But they feel that we, the other 90%, do not have the intellect to think for ourselves, so they will do us a favor and guide us in a more liberal direction.
Our state and our nation are headed, by necessity, in a smaller and hopefully more fiscally conservative direction.  These people want to grow government.  It is very simple, when government grows your billfold shrinks.
It is my understanding  that money from alcohol sales cannot go toward roads, schools, or the county general fund.  Pursuant to Kentucky State law, tax revenue from local alcohol can only be used for alcohol related problems, crime, and administrative costs.  Surrounding counties’ first act after passing an alcohol initiative has been to hire an Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) officer.  Sounds like more big government to me.
It is not my contention that only liberals will vote for this measure.  Other voters support this measure and I respect their decision also.
I would like to see every registered voter go to the polls and vote in this upcoming election.  The core proponents of the alcohol initiative are very capable and energized.  They will come at you with big advertising, a savvy social media blitz, and I believe “pie in the sky” claims.
If you feel this measure is detrimental to our county please take time to VOTE  NO to this measure on January 26, 2016.  Better yet, vote early if possible because the weather could be nasty that day.  This date was planned, I believe, by the proponents of this measure hoping for bad weather and low voter turnout.  This election is costing Butler County taxpayers about $30,000.  Do not stay home and let our formidable opponents decide this important election!
This is not a partisan political issue.  This is a Butler County issue.  Let’s unite for the common good of our county.
God Bless you and Merry Christmas,
Sincerely,
Bruce White