Keeping booze out of the hands of babes 2

Got a call today from The ANSWER's Dave Frisch, who wanted a chance to explain the Grand Forks alcohol taskforce's position without getting peppered with a billion questions by the City Council.

Fair enough.

First of all, he said, that whole bartender license thing was only the smallest first step in changing our booze-crazy culture. He figures the $10 licensing fee isn't that much money, especially stretched over the three-year life of the license, so he's not sure why the council was so upset about it.

At any rate, he said, the point of the training is to get those bartenders to help the cops catch minors trying to buy booze. With only about five cops on duty at night, he said, they can't be checking every bar. On the other hand, he also admits that they can't be answering every bartender's call, either.

East Grand Forks' Sgt. Mike Swang said he heard the GFPD doesn't even want to be called. Just keep those fake IDs and turn them in at the end of the month, he said.

OK, so what about the fact that 65 percent of minors say they get their booze from friends or a family member? Why don't you try increasing the fines on those people?

That's kinda the next step, Frisch said. There's a community discussion that needs to take place first.

I gotta a one-track mind but I keep thinking: Didn't we try that before with that town hall meeting in March? Organizers booked the Chester Fritz Auditorium, which seats, like, 2,400 and got 100 people to show up.

Personally, I think the problem's not the drinking -- kids in France drink wine at the table -- it's the reason for drinking. They're drinking to be drunk and that's the most dangerous reason.

In the meantime, the East Grand Forks City Council discussed the bartender license ordinance and didn't have any problems with it.

Council member Glen Trembath, like those council members in Grand Forks, asked about penalties for minors using false ID.

City attorney Ron Galstad said it's in a state statute but he doubts it deters anyone. "I'm telling you, there isn't a judge that's going to fine a minor $1,000!"

By the way, the humorous image above comes by way of the Strange Persons Web site.

Update 9:34 p.m., 5/24/06: Frisch sent over some data today about the rate at which bartenders in Fargo and Grand Forks checked ID. Tsk tsk, Grand Forks. You can't let Fargo beat you like that?? Where's the spirit, huh?