EDITORIAL: WILL LA MESA BAN BOOZE AT TUESDAY'S HEARING? CITY SHOWS ITS HYPOCRISY

By Joe Morris

October 25, 2009 – On Tuesday, La Mesa’s City Council will vote on whether to ban drinking alcoholic beverages in public places—unless you fork over a $150 fee and apply two weeks in advance for your guzzling privileges. A City Manager’s report argues that tipsy people pose potential threats to others and cause police to waste time responding to calls about public intoxication.

How ironic, coming from a city that hosts an annual Oktoberfest touting public drinking and revelry; this year’s marketing slogan was “the big beer garden is back.”

So now the City, albeit for seemingly worthy purposes, wants to impose the ultimate nanny state on law-abiding La Mesa citizens who in today’s tough economy, may not be able to afford a night of bar-hopping or even public drinking at an Oktoberfest beer garden sponsored by the Karl Strauss Brewery, where beers cost six bucks a stein. We are now to be deprived of the simple pleasures of kicking back with a beer at a picnic or sharing a bottle of wine in the park with someone special. 

 Many of us can walk or bicycle to a park, avoiding driving after drinking. How can those who don't live along a trolley line get home from a bar?  Calling a taxi isn't a luxury that most folks can afford.

 The City Manager’s report observes that police received 272 calls involving drinking an alcoholic beverage from April 4 through October 4 this year (up from 178 for the same period in 2008). A least 18 arrests and an unknown number of those calls were at the City’s three-day drinking bash, otherwise known as Oktoberfest. (The annual beer-chugging fest is hosted by merchant groups, though the City gladly issues a permit to keep those downtown cash registers ringing.)

Of the remaining calls, it’s unclear how many were for drinking in public places versus homes, bars, restaurants, or other locations.

One 2008 police call involved La Mesa's Mayor, who was escorted home by police after imbibing at a local bar and reportedly being under the influence on a city street. (His companion, also a city employee,  pled guilty to reckless driving.)  Clearly the Mayor is no tee totaller; he understands that drinking in and of itself is not inherently bad, nor is where one chooses to drink.  Rather it's the actions a small minority of drinkers take (such as driving under the influence or disorderly conduct) that should appropriately be addressed by law enforcement.   

The City Manager's report further complains that a significant number (not specified) of calls result from transients in public places. Perhaps if the City of La Mesa would open up a shelter for the growing number of homeless people in our area, homeless folks wouldn’t be left to turn to a bottle of booze on a public street for warmth on a cold winter night.

In any case, it’s unfair to penalize the many law abiding citizens who take pleasure in cracking open a cold beer on a hot afternoon in one of La Mesa’s many public parks and recreation areas. Police already have tools at their disposal to crack down on those who over imbibe: a breathalyzer and a trip to the County jail.  If drinking and vagrancy in the Downtown district is a problem, perhaps a narrowly crafted ordinance that applies only to the streets in the Village - not to every park and rec center -- could be considered.

The City of San Diego’s ban on booze at the beach fattened the pockets of merchants selling booze in new cantinas and cafes along the boardwalk. Might La Mesa’s sudden interest in stopping people from drinking in public parks be a ploy to force them to pony up money for a permit to fatten city coffers—or buy booze in La Mesa restaurants, boosting the city’s sales tax revenues?

One thing is certain - people aren't going to give up drinking if this passes. Prohibition didn't work.  This ordinance would make lawbreakers out of ordinary people guilty of nothing more than having a good time.  Or they will simply go picnic in neighboring cities--and spend their money at vendors outside of La Mesa.  Do we really want to risk angering people and losing sales tax revenues now?

We don’t ban cars because some people break the law and drive drunk. Nor should we ban the reasonable consumption of alcohol in most public places. La Mesa should enforce existing laws against public intoxication—not penalize the many La Mesa residents who both obey the law and enjoy an occasional beer or glass of wine in the parks that our tax dollars support.
 

The opinions expressed in this editorial reflect the views of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine.  If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration,  contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.