Rick Redding was an original founder of this website.
It’s amazing all the economic development that’s foiled by Kentucky’s antiquated alcohol laws.
Now it looks like some potential developers might hesitate about bidding on operating Otter Creek because it’s located in a dry area. The C-J talked to several of the developers interested in bidding on operating the city-owned park in Meade County, and some said the ban on alcohol sales in the park would have an effect on their enthusiasm for the project.
Among the projects that might be developed at Otter Creek are theaters, a golf course, hotel, restaurants and new campsites.
According to the story, Otter Creek is in a dry precinct. Elsewhere in Meade County, such as Brandenburg and Flaherty, it’s wet. An effort was made in 1988 to get a wet-dry vote, but it never happened.
Meade County Judge-Executive Harry Craycroft pre-emptively suggested in the C-J piece that he thinks the sale of alcohol in the park is a bad idea, except in a proposed restaurant.
In the last legislative session, when politicians raised taxes on alcohol, there were suggestions that many of the state’s economic ills could be solved by requiring local governments to hold wet-dry elections or forfeit the tax revenue they receive from alchol sales. That idea, of course, championed by Makers Mark’s Bill Samuels, went nowhere.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Meve Stagruder // Jul 10, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Alcohol is just as bad as those devil slots (but give me the tax revenue)
2 Ann All // Jul 10, 2009 at 12:41 pm
So I guess Kentucky will never consider legalizing and collecting tax revenue from a crop that’s already grown in a big way here? Maybe Gatewood can use the economy to drive home his legalization argument in a way that’ll make bottom-line sense. How much worse is marijuana than tobacco or alcohol, two of KY’s big cash generators?
3 William // Jul 10, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Have to question the hypocrisy that is Kentucky lawmakers. The same people supported tobacco for generations and then have done an about face with the alcohol and gaming issues. Its amazing the rank hypocrisy that goes for politics in this state. Its also more interesting how the religionists are trying to control everything here. Somehow its bad that gaming would be allowed yet the state gets revenue off it. Somehow its good that Kentucky pays out millions of dollars in welfare benefits in the form of payments to individuals in these rural counties. Somehow its good to tax Louisville residents and businesses into the ground to pay for rural welfare programs and road infrastructure. Somehow its too hard for these places to get jobs and create business. Maybe because they are clueless or ignorant. Its amazing that the so called religious leaders are bitching about gambling, alcohol, etc yet half of their own flocks have been sitting around on their butts for years collecting government checks.
Louisville metro area needs to secede from the mess that is the rest of Kentucky. We have our own problems mostly from bad government called Jerry Inc. But somehow I think we would be a lot better off if we kept our money and taxes in Jefferson Co and instead of supporting the rural parts of the state which tend to be leeches and deadbeats.
4 Willy // Jul 10, 2009 at 1:00 pm
If Meade county does not want the legalize alcohol then give Otter Creek Park to them. This is a beautiful park but has been a drain on Louisville for years and provides no benifit to the city of Louisville. The state doesn’t even want it. You know if Cornish doesn’t want it you know it is a bad deal.
5 bill // Jul 10, 2009 at 2:20 pm
My statement is this, This crap has been going on in the state and local goverments forever, but people STILL vote these two faced idiots in office every election! When will people finally wake up and see these people for who they really are!
6 Tyrone // Jul 10, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I have a problem with anyone developing a megaplex at Otter Creek Park. This is a beautiful park that sould not become a parking lot. Lets keep green spaces green!
7 Will Alcohol Be the Issue for Otter Creek? | Alcohol abuse,addiction and how to // Jul 11, 2009 at 12:48 am
[...] View original here: Will Alcohol Be the Issue for Otter Creek? [...]
8 Carter Burger // Jul 11, 2009 at 9:34 am
Being from Georgia, I don’t understand the whole wet/dry thing. Or as we have in Oldham county, “moist” (whatever). Do these people not understand that if you have a dry county (Oldham) next to a wet county (Jeff, Shelby, Henry, Trimble) that people will just go to the other counties taking their money with them, to get what they want and the “dry” county loses out on the revenue?
So we have some people that are forcing their views and opinions on others that’s going to deny Otter Creek from becoming a revenue generator.
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
9 Jeff // Jul 12, 2009 at 11:46 am
I don’t think a theater would be in character with the environment at OCP, but I fully agree with the bigger idea here about wet-vs.-dry. The rank hypocrisy of the Commonwealth & various counties in restricting alcohol sales, yet simultaneously accepting & spending alcohol tax revenue, is utterly stupid. This is one of the best examples of why Kentucky is, has been, and will continue to be, for the foreseeable future, 45th-47th-48th on whatever state-ranking, for whatever indicator.
Leave a Comment