Well, you had to know it was coming. There is a group of big wigs  working to get liquor stores in Lenoir City and Loudon. It always goes the same way. First liquor by the drink, then shortly there after liquor stores. Of course the logic for wanting liquor by the drink was just to get nice restaurants. The explanation for the need for liquor stores will be "more tax revenue." Retired banker Ed Bell is apparently the leader of the pack with Dr. Barry Gordon, owner of Lenoir City Animal Clinic, and John Tuck, local realtor and developer. They even have a location picked out in Lenoir City. They plan to open their liquor store in Dr. Gordon's old animal clinic where Quick Print & Copy currently operates.

The process to legalize liquor stores requires the question to be placed on the ballot to be voted on by the voters of each city. The three wise men who are working to bring more liquor to the cities will need the signatures of 129 registered voters from the City of Loudon to have the question placed on the ballot. They will need the signatures of 165 registered voters from the City of Lenoir City to have it placed on the ballot. Given the state of affairs, I'm sure they will get the needed signatures. I'll be sure to post copies of the petitions when they are turned in.

The real driver behind the push for liquor stores is greed. Just imagine owning the first liquor stores in the County. No doubt those who are first  will get wealthy off the misery of others. They could care less about tax revenues for the cities. Why is it that the people wanting the liquor stores won't just come right out and say, "We like to drink and get drunk and we like to make money?" Why do they try to hide their real motives? Given that liquor by the drink has already passed in both cities, it's not hard to believe the same voters who fell for the liquor by the drink stories will also fall for the lies about the need for liquor stores. Hopefully not.

We're really getting there. We've got liquor in our restaurants, beer in all our grocery stores, gridlocked traffic every where, rampant out of control development destroying everything. All we need now is a Mouse's Ear and a Katch One and we can officially say we have arrived.

The sad thing about it is, some think this is real progress.

-v-