Liquor Stings - worse than bee stings

When you can't get to sleep one of these nights in Woodstock, go to the City's website and read the transcript of the September 10, 2008, Liquor Commission Special Meeting. Right, that's "transcript"; not Minutes.

Thanks to a lot of nagging from me, the City finally posted the Minutes (and transcript) of that meeting and also of the November 17, 2008, Special Meeting on its website today. To find these documents, go to www.woodstockil.gov and then scroll down to Boards and Commissions. Wait! Don't click yet!

Roll your mouse over Boards and Commissions, then over either Agendas or Minutes and then continuing rolling to the Liquor Commission. Save some clicks and some time.

Then pick the date for which you would like to look at the Minutes.

If you view the July 30, 2008 Minutes, you'll see the traditional format of Minutes as prepared by Cindy Smiley, the City's Chief Deputy Clerk. This meeting involved hearings on several alleged liquor violations and resulted in substantial total fines and business closing penalties, plus costs.

And if you view the November 17, 2008 Minutes, you'll again see the traditional format of Minutes, also prepared by Cindy Smiley. No hearings on violations were held at this meeting.

But then go to the September 10, 2008 Minutes. You may want to get the peanuts and a six-pack before you start reading. At this meeting was a court reporter to record verbatim testimony for two hearings on violations.

The attorney for one licensee stated, "...I had gotten into this for other reasons pretty heavily with other licensees to try to determine some facts because there were some things going on elsewhere with some stings that were very questionable..."

Liquor licensees are in a very delicate position in a city such as Woodstock. If they look cross-eyed at the wrong people, they can quickly end up on the short end of the stick - if you know what I mean.

Liquor licensees are business people. They understand their obligations to comply with liquor laws. And they understand the penalties for violating the liquor laws.

They don't need to be raked over the coals, if a violation occurs. Agreements are usually worked out between the lawyers, and the meetings of a Liquor Commission are merely a formality to "seal the deal."

But not in Woodstock, according to my reading of a number of sets of Minutes and the transcript of the September 10, 2008 Special Meeting.

Somebody is going to have to stand up for the liquor licensees. It is very difficult for them to stand up for themselves, because they have to worry about the thumb of the Liquor Commission squashing them. But We the People can help assure them fair dealings, consideration and respect.

And it's time for the People of Woodstock to step forward and examine carefully how the Liquor Commission operates. Maybe it's not so bad as presented on paper. But maybe it is.

One way to find out is to attend this Monday's Special Meeting (there are all Special Meetings; none is scheduled regularly each month) at 7:00PM at City Hall. That's this Monday, January 26, 2009.

Will you be there?