Wow. Looks like I stirred the pot somehow. Totally didn't mean to.
First. Not saying that I want to tell anybody how to spend their money. Pretty sure we won't be getting any bingo in my neighborhood. But if you want to play bingo, have at it. If you are on welfare (aka spending my money) stay home.
Second. Not sure how this became about religion. We can keep deluding ourselves that the alcohol situation in Alabama is due to religion. The alcohol situation in Alabama is due to outside influences (InBev, the distributors, big beer lobby) and people riding the coat tails of that influence to places of power in our government. Sure they pander to the tea-totallers, but make no mistake it all boils down to dollars.
Third. Vote for Ron Sparks if that is your concience. At least you're voting. But hold your breath and wait for him to help out any homebrew related cause. He is going to be so busy paying back his Casino-Interest backers, he won't have a second to even think about homebrew or brewery modernization.
That is all.
I dont care if he HELPS homebrewing or any alcohol legislation in the state., I just dont want anyone actually trying to hamper the efforts, and he wont do that.
and yes, you are correct that the established business interests control policy, thats an absolute fact, but the rest is a more a matter of religous morals trying to dictate policy at a higher level, rather than actually making decisions based on whats fiscally and realistically proper for the citizens of the state.
you know, this remended me of something I just saw yesterday on tv., Alabama ranked 43rd on the Quality of Life scale, again, (consistently on the bottom rungs of the ladder) and all the southern states fair poorer than most. I know I have heard Senators and congressmen speak about our wonderful laid back heritage and not wanting to ruin it with MORE access to alcohol. this is where my rants about religion stem.
one of the reasons we as a state continue to rank so poorley against others are these antiquated laws and religous dogma.
for us as a state to prosper, this old antiquated belief the devil is chasing you down every street, has to be put aside. I hear politicians crow about how low our state taxes are, but they fail to mention how our K-12 education funding suffers. locally, last year, we had the chance in two countys, to vote for a 1 cent sales tax increase to build 3 new schools we desperately need, voted it down!
I know im rambling, sorry, but this whole thing pisses me off.