Dear Editor:

One thing I hold dear as a citizen of this great community is our freedom to bring petitions and issues before our community, to discuss these issues and to vote on them. This civic right stands in stark contrast to much of the world today. I am grateful that our community is having the opportunity to engage in such dialogue concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages.

While a recent article in The Daily Leader reported a growth in tax revenues on retail sales in the last couple of years, I feel our service industries have been decreasing. I believe that adding the sale of alcoholic beverages would bring additional restaurants to Brookhaven, thus bringing in more sales tax revenues.

To go to a nice restaurant, especially with guests, forces many of our citizens to seek other towns to enjoy dinner and the option of having a glass of wine. This option sadly contributes to those other towns’ sales tax revenues.

The petition to serve alcoholic beverages in the city of Brookhaven simply enables this issue to be placed on the upcoming ballot, allowing our citizens their given right to vote on said issue. Should it pass, our Board of Aldermen will have the authority to regulate responsible access to alcoholic beverages.

I am asking for your vote FOR the legal sale of alcoholic liquors on June 4, 2013.

Thank you,

Laura Groth