Enough Already

From the folks at Cindy’s Spirits:

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in our attempt to be granted a liquor license for The Loft. The Loft would be in the space next to Wegmans in Columbia. A hearing has been scheduled for May 8 at 6:30 pm in the Banneker Room at The George Howard Building. The Howard County Council will be deciding if they will uphold the Howard County Liquor Boards decision to grant us this license. If you are able to attend to show the county council your support for this we would greatly appreciate it!

Here we go again.

Even when you win your case it isn’t over, apparently. Tom Quick is still trying to open The Loft Wine and Spirits and The Perfect Pour (and others) are still trying to prevent it. Consumers want choice. Competitors don’t.

I wrote about this attempt to get the Liquor Board decision overturned in December.

Let me get this straight. Mr. Quick has invested time and effort and money in trying to move this project forward. He met all the requirements the law mandates. The Liquor Board has ruled in his favor. But now the other side who oppose the competition his store represents say it’s not over?

I know this isn’t exactly an election, but—didn’t Mr. Quick win fair and square here? Hasn’t he earned the right to “take office” as it were? While I didn’t necessary expect Barry Coughlin to turn up  at Mr. Quick’s place of business to graciously concede defeat I did think that he’d respect the decision handed down by the Liquor Board.

This move feels profoundly disrespectful to Mr. Quick, his family and associates. But more than that it can’t help but be a suggestion that the Liquor Board didn’t do their job. And I just don’t believe that to be the case. I think they bent over backwards to examine the facts and to hear from the community.  They took their time. They did their job well.

They were thorough.

And I don’t think they are in any way obligated to go back and do it all over again.

If you agree, and think it’s high time that The Loft Wine and Spirits be allowed to move forward, you can do two things:

1. Send a note to the County Council asking them to uphold the Liquor Board’s  decision in favor of Mr. Quick. councilmail@howardcountymd.gov

2, Show up Wednesday night in support of The Loft. May 8th, 6:30, the Banneker Room in the George Howard Building.

Can a Mom and Pop business break into the tightly controlled Columbia liquor market? It’s clear to me that the voices of consumers will make a difference in the outcome here. If you care about this, say something.