To the Editor:
Vote yes for beer and wine in Tisbury. As a former innkeeper, I can remember the incredulous expressions on the faces of my guests when I reminded them to be sure to bring a bottle of wine with them if they were going to eat in Tisbury. The next question was ‘where can I get a bottle of wine’ – I’d say, in Oak Bluffs or Edgartown. You could practically read their faces saying, why didn’t we just stay in Oak Bluffs or Edgartown?
If they did that, then Tisbury would not benefit by the four percent room taxes and the food taxes. As far as I can see, tourism is still our primary industry. Why make it so complicated just to get a glass of wine with your meal? Those food and lodging taxes go a long way to keep our town solvent as well as keep the lights on in Tisbury’s business district. If voting no meant that no one in Tisbury would ever drink any beer or wine again, then maybe I’d understand a no vote. But people in Tisbury drink beer, wine, etc., with their meals now. The only difference is that they would be able to purchase a glass of wine or beer in Tisbury’s restaurants. Vote yes for beer and wine, please.Doris Clark
Vineyard Haven
