‘Yes’ vote needed to boost revenue

It’s drawing near to election day. We have an opportunity to hopefully change courses in Washington and in Hartselle. The issue in Hartselle is simple. Do we allow valuable alcohol tax revenue to continue to be in receipts of Decatur, Moulton and Priceville, or do we show that we can allow Hartselle to grow, by voting yes to legal alcohol sales. I respect the opposition’s stand on this. What I don’t respect is the distortions, complete untruths and their scare tactics, that they use.

A town going wet does not add to alcoholism, crime, abuse, neglect, poverty, or any other of their propaganda lists of community degradation. People who choose to have a drink, buy it, wherever it’s available. If it’s not available in Hartselle, then a short drive to Big A’s, solves that problem. What it does in respect to tax revenue, is allows for equipment upgrade in the various departments, hiring of more emergency personnel, street repair, etc.

Prior to the last vote on this issue, I’ve been told that Big A’s changed ownership, due to the fear that we would go wet, and they would become extinct, in alcohol sales. Decatur city council adjusted their budget some 16%, in fear that Hartselle would go wet. Now that Priceville is wet, the tax revenue for Decatur, is slowing dissipating.

A $40 million dollar school and a $14 million dollar aquatic center has plunged us into some serious deep debt. Downtown has empty buildings, and now a rumor that Shoe Show will be closing adds to the situation Hartselle is facing. Houses that are for sale, in almost every area of Hartselle, sit with no buyers in the future. Businesses come and go faster than a speeding bullet. Travelers on the interstate pass by, because there is nothing here that sparks their interest to stop.

Mike Dowdy

Hartselle, Alabama