NEW BAR RESTRICTIONS VIOLATE EQUAL PROTECTION, ENDANGER TOURISM INDUSTRY
By FITSNews || Things are just beginning to heat up for Charleston, S.C. The city is on all sorts of national tourism lists – and it somehow managed to survive “Charmageddon.”
But how long can Charleston stay on top?
Not long if its nanny statist leaders continue pursuing patently unfair, anti-competitive policies. Take the city’s latest edict – which would effectively ban any new bars in Charleston by forcing such establishments to close their doors at midnight.
“That will slowly kill the tourism economy in Charleston,” one Lowcountry advocate told FITS.
Aside from that, it’s ridiculous …
It also flagrantly violates the notion of equal protection by applying one legal standard to a certain group of businesses and another standard to … well, another group of businesses.
According to our sources, the new law stems from shady back room deals negotiated by city councilman Mike Seekings – who is vying to replace Joe Riley as mayor of the Holy City. In fact we’re told Seekings has personally met with several existing bar owners in Charleston who are looking to limit any competition they may face in the future.
Amazing …
Charleston should reconsider this ill-conceived moratorium. Imposing such an arbitrary restriction on commerce is unfair, economically insensible and clearly designed to endear certain aspiring politicians to a select group of special interests.
In other words it’s everything that’s wrong with politics in the Palmetto State …
26 comments
LOL….ya know WIl, you could try turning the picture upside down. Can you do that…?
Pierre Manigault and some heirs property investors want to know…?
The reason the ordinance is popular among voters and other residents who don’t vote is because of the fact that these all-night bars spew out onto the street drunken, bawdy, loud patrons who wake up the entire neighborhood. Enough is enough. Let these kids (most of them are College of Charleston students and recent graduates) go home at 2 AM and finish their drinking there.
Wrong. They are not mostly college kids. Get a clue. This ordinance will be beaten down in Federal Court, I am sure of that.
While I think a city should be free to screw up its economy if it wants to I have to agree with you here. The courts will have a field day with this.
There is plenty off precedence for courts upholding zoning law restrictions. Alcohol and its distribution is already heavily regulated.
It is a one year moratorium only at this point. It does not apply citywide either. It only applies to King Street, parts of Meeting and East Bay Streets and the Market area.
Seattle is electing actual Socialists and passing laws fining restaurants $50 for throwing away too much food…lol…so Charleston is just following the trendline, which is having all levels of government legislate every aspect of our lives.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024604656_citycompost1xml.html
Just think, Boeing put a plant in N.Chucktown partially to get away from Seattle and the anti-business attitude…lol
One difference, Washington state is flaky as a croissant from Bellingham all the way to Olympia. All our flakes live in Charleston and Greenville.
Actually it is the inverse. They all reside in Lexington/Richland.
But why wait for some gray beard to pass judgement? Take to the streets! Violate that unjust “law”!
… And your point is?
Look if one is old enough to carry a gun in defense of our Country, He or She should be able to buy a drink of booze any time He or She wants … It’s called a learning experience and every tribal warrior should be given that test.
Equal protection?…For businesses?…From an oppressive city ordinance?….Huh?
Seems a perfectly normal way to boost a port economy: drunken vomiting obnoxious College of Charleston man-boys on Upper King and all the natives pouring drinks down the drunks throats. Now add some Charleston street walkers to cut the purses and we have a full historic port experience.
Don’t forget the hookahs too!
What’s so bad about easy college men?
So where’s the line drawn when it comes to distinguishing an opportunist from a predator?
If anything, this protects the current bars and makes them much more profitable should the owners want to sell.
Some of the people down here in leadership are a bunch of arrogant fools who keep being empowered and elected by anti-growth anti-business hacks!
It will have no effect on tourism whatsoever.More fallacious logic from Fits.
Yeh there’s some would be tourist in Boston right now saying to himself,”Gee Im not going to Charleston,they’re not going to open any new bars this year!”
Yeh Riiiight!,
Goofy.
Try as he might, Sic Willie will not be able to move the center of SC tourism to Richland/Lexington.
North Charleston-Nigel’s Good Food
Charlestonians are too inbred.
That is better than the “questionable parentage” that is found in the midlands.
Why can’t we all just get along? … And open carry with an open beer, just like in Arizona, Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, N&S Dakota … I’m assuming you all can’t.
Equal Protection?! That’s some Charleston School of Law nonsense, that. Go run a quick Westlaw and pull up the eleventy thousand cases wherein the courts have upheld just such zoning restrictions (sometimes on issues much less sensible than loud drunks wandering the streets).
Honestly, if I didn’t know what Upper King Street is like at night, I’d think this moratorium was silly too. But that area just plain sucks now. Upper King Street was rundown and in need of some TLC. All the old (mostly) African-American businesses were bought up or forced out by higher rents, and almost every single one was turned into a bar or a restaurant/bar. The result has been a string of mostly lame, touristy bars. I can understand why neighborhoods around the area are very angry. The sidewalks are narrow there, and the houses are all very close together. There is non-stop noise and drinking at night. And it ain’t Mardi Gras. I love a good bar scene, but this area is just lame and out of control.
It was the city’s fault for not noticing that every new business license in this neighborhood was for a bar. I expect more silly rules from the city as out of control tourism and development threatens livability downtown (the only part of Charleston that City Hall actually cares about).
Mike Seekings is a liar and a guy that fools around on his wife. What a loser!