Be Logical, License Commissioners

Be Logical, License Commissioners

Cambridge City Councilors want to attract "the hip young crowd [to] spend [...] time—and money—in the city." (VIRGINIA A. FISHER, "City Calls For More Liquor Licenses, Councillors: Decades-old license cap turns off the city’s hip, young crowd," Harvard Crimson, November 28, 2006) That crowd enjoys sex, drugs and rock and roll.
In 2003 the Council declared a housing emergency. The 2006 voter survey placed housing at the top of their concerns. More liquor licenses address that problem how?
The Mayor said, “If you’re hungry on a Wednesday night, you shouldn’t have to go to the Hong Kong. It’s not cosmopolitan, and it’s not logical.”
Is this logical? "If you are hungry, you need more liquor licenses." Q.E.D. The Mayor runs City Council meetings as if he just came back from the Hong Kong.
This report says, "The council will discuss possible changes and policy orders to officially present to the license commission at next Monday’s regular meeting."
The City Council has the power to request the Manager to do things. State law prohibits the council from ordering city agencies to act. Why stop at more bars? Why not some Ivy League brothels?
Few Bay State politicians obey the laws or the voters. Why not open a few local casinos? MIT and Harvard own a lot of private property, onto which the local police fear to enter. Why not make Cambridge like Las Vegas, a tasteful casino in each square.
In Amsterdam there are marijuana clubs. Why not in Cambridge? Lots of homicides in New Orleans. Why not in Cambridge too? Lighten up License Commissioners.
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Roy Bercaw, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
Cambridge MA USA

City Calls For More Liquor Licenses Councillors: Decades-old license cap turns off the city’s hip, young crowd
Published On 11/28/2006 3:45:27 AM
By VIRGINIA A. FISHER
Harvard Crimson Staff Writer

In a roundtable meeting about Cambridge’s liquor license policy yesterday, the city council encouraged the city’s license commission to make it easier for restaurants to serve alcohol. Councillors raised concerns that the current policy dissuades innovative young restaurateurs from opening in Cambridge and discourages the hip young crowd from spending time—and money—in the city.
Liquor licenses for Cambridge restaurants are currently allocated according to a cap system established in 1986. This system delineates 15 “cap areas,” each of which is assigned a fixed number of licenses, which can be bought and sold. Harvard Square is one such area. Additional licenses are issued in cases of “extraordinary public need” and “consensus among local residents,” but such licenses cannot be transferred or traded.
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—Staff writer Virginia A. Fisher can be reached at vafisher@fas.harvard.edu. http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516015