To the editor:

I like to express my opinion which is shared with a lot of other citizens, on the City of Batesville discussing Sunday beer sales. I drink beer, but this has no effect on my comments.

It is time for Batesville to move into a new age. We are already in a recession.

Selling beer on Sunday will increase tax revenue. That money could be used for other things in the city. Just like the August 18 issue of this paper stated, 41 grocery and convenience stores sold $3.4 million of beer last year, generating $243,421 in sales tax for the city. By not allowing beer sales on Sunday, the City of Batesville is losing out. People who want beer on Sunday are still going to get beer. Everyone with common sense knows about bootleggers. Bootleggers are making all the money, out of their house, car, or convenience stores.

They charged extra on Sundays, but people still are going to buy it. I personally stock up on Saturday nights, but everyone doesn’t do that. Why let the bootleggers make the money illegally when our city can make it legally?

And as for people who don’t want to pay bootlegger’s price or stock up on Saturday nights, they go to another town on Sundays and get their beer.

That money could be spent right here in Batesville on Sundays. I don’t know of one beer drinker that doesn’t drink beer on Sunday because he or she can’t get it. Just like Alderman-at-large Teddy Morrow stated in the Panolian article, even the non-beer drinkers are for the sales of beer on Sunday, because it is good for the city.

And as for Mark Jones’ statement in that article that he has seen too many families torn apart by alcohol–well, Mr. Jones, selling beer from Monday thru Saturday can tear families apart, also. The Town of Como doesn’t allow beer sales until after 2 p.m. on Sundays. That would also be an idea for the City of Batesville to consider, because most people don’t want any beer in the morning. Anyway, the bottom line to the people who will vote on this decision–we are in a recession. Stop throwing this tax away.

Bobby Bradford