Comments on: Liquor Returns to Wallingford

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:48:46 +0000

Mike,

The epidemic of panhandling and public intoxication from the homeless is not a result of the zoning of state run liquor stores. Granted, the location of social services and alcohol vendors can attract additional problems to specific areas but it’s a city wide issue.The reason our city contains a large and problematic homeless population is because our city government (principally the Mayor’s office) is unwilling to address it in any meaningful way. The Mayor has already vetoed an aggressive panhandling ordinance while law enforcement is discouraged from targeting the problem in a proactive manner.

The simple presence of police patrols tasked with enforcing public intoxication and loitering laws eliminates the it as a chronic problem in the neighborhood.

By: DeanMartin

DeanMartin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:54:43 +0000

First of all, thank you to iyqtoo for making the very reasonable distinction between the “homeless” and drunks. Folks who enable uncivil behavior out of some misguided sense of sympathy hurt the neighborhood, as well as the very population they purport to support.
Secondly, the problem is not that the drunks who are presently allowed to stagger all around our neighborhoods will suddenly buy a bottle of Courvoisier to go with their pheasant under glass, but that by placing a liquor store by Dick’s, the WaState Liquor Board has just enabled the lucrative business model of underage drinking by aligning supply with demand. When I was growing up on Capitol Hill, it was common knowledge for us pre-21′ers that alcohol “buyers” would be available in the Dick’s parking lot for anybody who didn’t merely want a Chocolate shake with their Deluxe. At that time the liquor store was just across the street.
On the heels of a just plain stupid decision by the Seattle School District to segment the 45th-50th street neighborhood as part of their rezoning efforts, some of us are feeling pretty sore with public sector “decision makers” – we have already had one neighbor move out, and a second is looking.

By: iyqtoo

iyqtoo — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:31:02 +0000

Feeling kind of feisty this morning, but calling a bum a bum is not NIMBY or hateful, it’s honest. Can’t speak for anybody else, but the resentment i feel about this subject is the failure on many folks in Seattle to distinguish ‘homeless people’ who truly need help and are often too proud to ask from the substance abusing bums who are perfectly capable of doing productive work, but are allowed and encouraged to take advantage of the limited resources that have been set aside for the truly needy.

If you find that giving money to bums helps you feel less guilty, you might try looking at the long term too. You are enabling their own self-destruction. Not so different from giving a whining child cookies or TV time to shut them up while you finish a task without thinking about their future as a fat person. Far better to teach yourself how to say ‘no’ in a respectful way.

The barriers might be slightly higher, but recoginizing your own guilt and reserving your coins for the Real Change vendors or organized support agencies is a whole lot better for everybody in the long term.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:05:26 +0000

Wow, it’s interesting to see how much fear and resentment this brings up over homeless people. I’m definitely in agreement with those who point out how unproblematic the old one at Stone Way was. The businesses many homeless people seem most likely to hang out at are convenience stores and grocery stores. You don’t see a lot of homeless people that can afford hard alcohol.

And all this “aggressive panhandling” stuff I hear about is, to me, complete nonsense. Maybe it’s because I often make eye contact with homeless people, talk with them, give them some change, or, if I don’t feel like giving them anything, say “Not today, sorry,” and look them in the eye. Basically, I don’t think of them as “bums” or “ramptrash” or whatever hateful terms people on this forum are calling them. They’re people, period. I’m not saying they are saints, just that they are people, often with substance abuse problems. If it bothers you to see people out of doors who have problems, support Real Change, support SHARE/WHEEL, support Nickelsville, support Solid Ground. That’ll do something to change the situation and change your own attitudes about homelessness. Fearful NIMBY attitudes keep homelessness and poverty in place.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:25:29 +0000

GCP-

The City has Alcohol Impact Areas where there are limits on what can be sold. One of the Alcohol Impact Areas covers the U District and extends to Latona which means that the first couple of places outside of the impact area are in Wallingford (the gas station on 45th and the 7-11 and 50th Street Market on 50th). The folks who buy these sorts of beverages have figured this out.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:12:18 +0000

Thanks, Wallyhood, for the referral to the Winchell’s topic. It still sounds like the departure of Winchell’s, though old history at this point, was initiated by the owner(s) of the building. I got a kick out of Noe cutting costs by using plain brown boxes and napkins rather than franchise material. As far as business, most of it transpired between 6am and 9am, by folks taking a few dozen to work. (Try buying a few dozen Top Pot or Mighty-O donuts! Ouch!) The business never seemed to be struggling when I stopped occasionally on the way to school… and Noe always had a smile and a greeting.

Sorry to digress, just wanted to close out the Winchell’s comment from Tues.

By: GCP

GCP — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:21:26 +0000

As someone who passed by the old liquor store on Stone many a time as the 16 is my regular bus, I only ever saw, AT MOST, 2 panhandlers outside the store. Mostly it was just the same 1 guy every day. Panhandlers don’t like congregating that much when actually panhandling, makes them less approachable and less likely to get any money. I actually saw a couple panhandlers/street musicians(?) get in a fight over a corner when I lived in Chicago. I don’t remember if they were street musicians right now, but in Chicago, all street musicians must be permitted and display their permit (a good idea for Seattle I think).

Also, I thought Seattle passed a law about selling malt liquor at convenience stores. Or did that only apply to convenience stores in the downtown/belltown/cap hill area? And therefore pushed them out of downtown and into our neighborhoods…

By: Husky Charlie

Husky Charlie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:03:27 +0000

I think this is a great idea and I live in “East Wallingford”. It is my experience that bums usually don’t drink branded liquor and how can a liquor store bring a worse element then the hard drugs being dealt down by the highway. We should also see increased police presence which might actually help cut down on dealing/panhandling.

BTW-Count me in for a video porn outlet as well. Hopefully with a several different genres. I think that would do nothing but add to the hard, gritty reality that is East Wallingford.

Thug Life!

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:44:15 +0000

That section of 45th is looking more like Aurora every day. All we need now is a flop hotel and porn video outlet. Will fit right at home with the bong shop and throwing star shop.

Instead of giving your money to the offramp panhandlers, consider giving it to the state store straight away. Maybe you’ll save a liver.

Seriously, the old state store was a depressing dump that wasn’t even clean. I hope they can do better. Well, I don’t have much hope actually.

I predict that within six months of opening someone will be hit crossing the street on that section of 45th (let’s call it Aurora East).

Bad day for Wallingford.

By: Herman

Herman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:56:03 +0000

@ Mike:

Yes, it is against policy for liquor store employees to sell to someone who is already intoxicated.

Probably the biggest benefit to having state run liquor stores is that their mandate has always been public safety over profit.

If there were to be a problem with obviously drunk panhandlers refueling at the new Wallingford Liquor Store, I would think that it would only take a handful of complaints to the WSLCB to put a dent in the issue.

By: JD

JD — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:51:25 +0000

My two pennies on the issue:

I don’t see the liquor store being as huge of a draw for bums as people seem to think. Why spend $14 on the cheapest fifth when you can pick up a 6′er of Olde English HG tallboys (tasty, right?) for $5 at 7-11 or the gas station just east of Petco on 45th?

The bums on the off ramp are half as annoying as the bums outside of the QFC. (Hey Wallyhood.org reader who also works at QFC, what’s the deal?)

By: DOUG.

DOUG. — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:47:16 +0000

A couple folks on this thread have bemoaned "increased foot traffic" like that is a bad thing. More foot traffic is GOOD for a neighborhood. Ever been to Detroit?

By: Sherri

Sherri — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:31:03 +0000

I wholeheartedly agree with Mike and Iyqtoo – we are just a few houses away from this new liquor store location and hope that the neighborhood will be proactive as a community with this new store.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:33:05 +0000

The old Wallingford liquor store was supposedly closed because they lost their lease, not because the store wasn’t performing well. While some people were apparently loyal to Winchell’s, I rarely if ever saw any customers in the place. I always wondered how they stayed open as long as they did.

I don’t think the homeless people who are alcoholics really buy their liquor from liquor stores. It’s the cheap malt beverages from the convenience stores they seem to favor. The liquor stores do a better job of not selling to drunk people, unlike 7-11 or the like. Panhandling outside the store will likely be an issue though.

By: N2

N2 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:36:36 +0000

The University Village liquor store seems to always have a cop or cop-like person in the store, one assumes to look out for underage patrons. Maybe our liquor store will spur a larger police presence in northeast Wallyhood?????

Also, those of you who are going to do the Dick’s-liquor store-7-11 crawl …. be sure not to leave your empties and wrappers in my front yard, ‘mkay?