To the Editor:
- Will allowing the sale of hard liquor in Vineyard Haven make our town richer?
Tisbury finance director Jon Snyder made it very clear at town meeting that nearly 90 percent of town revenue comes from real estate taxes. We, the citizens pay the bills. Monetary contributions from restaurants and inns are negligible. Adding hard liquor to the equation could be an economic burden on the town, due to costs related to managing and patrolling increased alcohol consumption. Drinking hard liquor does not solve problems. It creates them.
- Will selling hard liquor make the restaurants richer, better?
Six years ago a handful of restaurant and inn owners petitioned the citizens of Tisbury to let them sell wine and beer. After a two-year divisive crusade, they won by a narrow margin. Selling wine and beer turned out not to be the silver bullet for success. Now they are back for more, as so many predicted. Good food at reasonable prices makes for a great restaurant. If you want to make a killing on booze, go to Oak Bluffs or Edgartown.
- Will selling hard liquor in restaurants and inns improve the quality of life for Tisbury residents?
Customers consuming hard liquor do not make it safer for children to ride their bikes to the movies or to walk into town for an ice cream, visit the library, etc. It will not improve the tranquility of the residential neighborhoods, some only one block from Main Street. It will not enhance the popular and highly successful sailing programs for kids and adults in Vineyard Haven Harbor. Drinking hard liquor does not reduce accidents. It causes them.
- Will selling hard liquor improve the visitor experience?
Many families rent year-round and seasonally in Vineyard Haven because it does not have a culture of alcohol. They like our town the way it is. Every summer, I meet hundreds of mariners who sail to Vineyard Haven because they love the authentic quality of our harbor, rich in maritime heritage — a real working waterfront. They don’t want the big drinking scene of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. If passengers arriving by ferry cannot get through a meal without hard liquor, let them take a cab or bus to the next town. We don’t have to be all things to all people. We have better things to offer.
Thoughtful citizens of Vineyard Haven are developing an action plan to include revitalization for the commercial waterfront district and Beach Road. A public park will soon be built on the Boch property, with the possibility for a maritime center as well. Bike paths and better pedestrian access are in the works. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum will soon relocate to the restored Marine Hospital overlooking the Lagoon and harbor.
It’s time to look forward with a vision that will best serve the citizens of Tisbury and future generations. It’s their town, too.
Selling hard liquor as a solution for economic growth is regressive. It’s the wrong direction for our town.
Vote No on Question 1.
Nat Benjamin
Vineyard Haven