Sunday Alcohol Sales: Cheers!
In today's election, Cobb County residents voted in favor of Sunday alcohol sales by a landslide.
No shocker here.
Unincorporated Cobb County has given its nod to Sunday sales of alcohol.
The county follows various cities and other jurisdictions throughout the state that have done so. The state legislature passed a law last year that allowed cities and counties the right to make their own call on the issue.
Other cities in Cobb that had the issue up for a vote were Marietta, Austell and Powder Springs. See results below and click on each city for details.
Other cities—Kennesaw, Acworth, Smyrna (click one for details)—passed the measure in November 2011.
Those in favor of Sunday alcohol sales pointed to the fact that with all of the other surrounding areas now having Sunday sales, it was only fair.
Sunday Sales Referendums |
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| Jurisdiction | Precincts | Choices | Votes | % |
| Unincorporated Cobb | 118 | Yes | 54,314 | 69.77% |
| of 118 | No | 23,534 | 30.23% | |
| Marietta | 12 | Yes | 4,983 | 70.99% |
| of 12 | No | 1,645 | 29.01% | |
| Powder Springs | 3 | Yes | 986 | 61.97% |
| of 3 | No | 605 | 38.03% | |
| Austell | 1 | Yes | 260 | 59.23% |
| of 1 | No | 179 |
40.77%
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"I think it's important for businesses in the Cobb County area to be able to sell alcohol on Sunday," said Randy Cope who was voting at Cumberland United Methodist Church in Vinings Tuesday. "It's one of the main reasons I came to vote today."
Others just saw it as the practical way to go.
"It makes no sense. You can go to a restaurant and drink all you want to and then drive home," said Richard Shore of Acworth. "But you can't go to the store and take it home."
Those against the measure pointed to problems with alcohol and to the religious aspect of having alcohol sold on Sunday.
"I think the Sabbath should be revered. You know, you got six days you can buy alcohol. Give it a break a day," said Eddie Alexander a Mableton resident who voted no.
In Powder Springs, 64-year-old resident Roger Boe expressed his opposition before the City Council there sent the option to voters.
"It is tragic evidence that the state of Georgia is in a deplorable decline when so many of its citizens find it viable that they have an extra day to purchase alcoholic beverages," he said. "Six days should be more than enough to purchase the poison of alcohol."
Boe noted several negative effects, including women drinking before they realize they're pregnant, car accidents, and cancer.
"Statistics will go up. Someone will die. And more tragic results will happen," he said.
But if Cobb business follows what others have seen so far, sales of booze won’t change much.
“We’re not really seeing any increase in sales,” said Ron Wikle, co-owner of Uncle Jack’s Spirits in Holly Springs. “The sales we normally would do on Saturday night we do on Sunday.”
Basically, Uncle Jack’s is paying the overhead to operate seven days a week to get the same sales it used to make in six days. But Wikle said the store can’t risk closing on Sunday and seeing some of those sales go somewhere else that is open.
Convenience stores and grocery stores, already open seven days a week, don’t have to account for additional overhead, and Zahid Riqbal of Quick Pick Food Mart said the Canton store is seeing more Sunday customers now.
A Publix spokeswoman, however, said sales in Canton are following the same pattern Uncle Jack’s is seeing: the same total spread over seven days instead of six.
Tammy Holliday Gearl
11:11 am on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Congrats Kennesaw! I wish I could have been there to vote. Instead im stuck in crappy NC!
Franz
3:13 pm on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Way to go! There must be separation of church and state. The churches should not be making laws. Not to mention it does not make sense that you can drink in restaurants and bars, yet you cannot buy at the store and drink safely at HOME.