Los Angeles Times  Article  
Sunday, September 6, 1998/Community Forum   
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Buying back liquor licenses gets readers' support  

AT ISSUE:  Last week we asked readers what they thought about adopting a statewide liquor tax that would be used to buy back liquor licenses in areas saturated with liquor stores.  Here are some of the response we received:   

I am totally in favor of it.  I used to conduct surveys inside liquor stores for the sale of different liquor brands, and I can affirm that liquor stores do not control sales.  Many drunken people came in and bought bottles to get even more drunk.  Only once when a drunken person actually started committing lewd acts was he ejected from the store.  The clerks always sold to whoever came in. 
DARIUS ADLE   
Hollywood   

This is a no-brainer.  Of course it makes sense.  The only thing I would suggest is:  Don't forget that in rural counties, where liquor stores might not be as concentrated as in the city, the rates of alcoholism could even exceed urban areas.  It makes sense, and I'm sure it will be adopted eventually.  
SHERMAN LAMBERT  
Pacific Palisades  

Santa Monica used to have Safeway, which now is Pavilions market.  It used to close at 9 p.m., but now Vons is open 24 hours and is a giant liquor store at night.  People stop there to buy their beer.  They drive down the alley, stop, and urinate.  If you live in the area, you get to watch.  This is a constant occurrence.  There should be a rule in residential areas that liquor stores cannot be open after 10 p.m.  That would solve most of these problems.  Closing a liquor store in an area that doesn't have any other store means that there will be no store in that area.  It's not like the second the liquor store closes, another market will go in there.  For all you know, they might put in some sex shop or something.  It could get worse.  
WALTER BUSKIRK  
Santa Monica  

There are too many liquor stores in poor neighborhoods.  I don't understand why there are so many liquor stores in the neighborhoods anyway.  You don't see that in Beverly Hills or other upper-middle-class, affluent neighborhoods.  Why do poor neighborhoods have so many liquor stores?   We need to get rid of these liquor stores and take back our community.  
LEON WATKINS  
Harbor City  

I've been a liquor store operator since 1927.  I've always had a clean store and a good clientele. I sold my place in 1979.  The operators of the store now are just trashing the property.  They are allowing drinking on the property and loitering around in back, which is causing all kinds of problems.  I blame the Police Department for not watching closely the problems of alcohol.  
SAL CACCAMISE  
West Los Angeles  

I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of buying back liquor licenses as an incentive for owners to relocate or get out of the business of selling liquor.  
ALMA  STENT  
Los Angeles  

I think it's a good idea.  I think some store owners might be reluctant to get out of the business or sell the business because it might be a depressed market, but it's one way for them to be able to liquidate their stores and sell out their license and not have to worry about finding a buyer.  
JON HANDLE  
Los Angeles