Editor,
Why a permanent entertainment district? The council says seven days a week; the mayor says Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I say we don’t need one. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. The proposed area is all of downtown, up Planer Hill to 62 and is permanent!
We already have plenty of places for people to drink. Our police department is not large enough to patrol the boundaries of the proposed district. Do we want people drinking in our neighborhood outside the boundaries? We don’t need to increase the police budget instead of making that tax money to fix our streets and service system.
They’ve proposed armbands for drinkers but what’s to keep them from getting more alcohol from their car or giving alcohol to underage drinkers? It will increase trash as the proposal says bars will be buying plastic cups for drinkers to walk around with. More diverted tax money for clean up.
Alcoholism is a big problem in our society. With people drinking in bars the bartender and bar owners are responsible for serving alcohol. They are legally liable for serving people who are too drunk. Who will be responsible for people drinking on the streets?
With an increase in young families with young children coming to Eureka do we want people drinking on the streets? We are not New Orleans; we are different. Families don’t visit the French Quarter. This will change the feeling of our town and not for the better.
City Council has decided to write an ordinance making a permanent Entertainment District before, not after, having public hearings. So much for the will of the citizens and taxpayers of Eureka.
We can do temporary entertainment districts and see how that works before we turn Eureka into an outside bar and see how that goes. We don’t need a permanent entertainment district. We need one like “a fish needs a bicycle.”
Karen Lindblad