Stop-n-Go
by ChrisNovember 24th, 2004 9:00 am
I have slightly mixed feelings on this, as I could see the law being used improperly, but overall, the legislation described in this article, seems like a very positive step. The law is basically an attempt to make it easier to crack down on delis that operate in a less than reputable manner and serve as magnets for neighborhood crime.
To understand why this is an issue, you need to have a basic familiarity with Pennsylvania’s liquor laws, which are surely the most bizarre in the nation. In Pennsylvania, all hard liquor and wine are sold by the state, in what we usually refer to as “State Stores”. State Stores cannot sell beer. Either beer distributors or establishments that sell some type of prepared food and offer seating sell all the beer. Odd description, I know.
The reason for the ambiguity is this; while an establishment that serves prepared food and offers seating sounds like a restaurant, in reality, it need not be. That’s because an establishment can qualify if it offers one variety of inedible sandwich and a dusty table and chair in the storage room. The beer store around the corner from me, for example, offers only liverwurst sandwiches and has a table in the basement. Obviously they are not interested in selling too many sandwiches. They are not a nuisance either, and hopefully won’t be targeted as such.
The problem comes when a tiny store opens up on a residential street, selling only 40’s of malt liquor and crack pipes, stays open all night, and allows drug dealers to operate out of the store. These establishments are often the scenes of murders and other violent crime, and eat at the fabric of communities that need all the fabric they can get.
I’ll wait to see how effective this new law is, and whether or not it is used to shut down legitimate businesses before I offer my wholehearted praise. At the moment, however, it looks as though the Pennsylvania legislature may have gotten something right. Once a decade is better than never I suppose.
