Liquor Store

Regarding your article about the city's plan to strip some liquor stores of their licenses, many studies have shown that communities with greater densities of alcohol outlets have higher levels of drinking, unintentional injuries and violence ("Baltimore to strip some liquor stores of licenses in rezoning effort," June 18). Specifically, published data about Baltimore show not only an inequitable distribution of liquor stores in predominantly African-American and low-income communities but also significant associations between the presence of liquor stores and the risk of health-related problems.

Baltimore City's plan to close 128 liquor stores is an incredibly misguided decision ("City targets liquor stores," June 18). While the city's leaders should be commended for finding ways to lessen crime, their solution does little more than rob 128 small business owners of their livelihood. Are there liquor stores that exacerbate crime and produce other problems in their neighborhoods? Absolutely. Are there 128 such establishments? Absolutely not. Liquor stores do not cause crime, nor does their existence in poor neighborhoods (which count for the resounding majority of neighborhoods where closures are intended)

The city health officials who plan to strip non-conforming liquor stores of their licenses because of a Johns Hopkins University study linking them to violent crime may be confusing correlation with causation ("City targets liquor stores", June 18). The distinction is important, because if the liquor stores aren't what's causing the crime, then closing them won't cause it to drop and could even exacerbate the problem. Vacant properties, for example, also correlate with violent crime.

The Columbia Wegmans' liquor license application should be denied for: 1) violating state law, 2) violating county zoning 3) eroding the business viability of the neighboring Columbia Villages and 4) inconsistency with Howard County's general plan. Maryland state law requires retail liquor operations to be separate from grocery and chain stores. Wegmans is obviously both, and their application is a blatant attempt to circumvent the existing law. Liquor retailers statewide are rightfully incensed that the rules under which their businesses were started and grew are about to be swept away.

The owner of a Frankford liquor store was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison and six months of subsequent home detention for tax evasion after he understated the store's earnings by more than $1.5 million and structured bank deposits specifically to avoid IRS inquiries, according to prosecutors. Chung K. Choi, 47, of Woodbine, the owner of Frankford Garden Liquors in the 5400 block of Sinclair Lane, filed corporate tax returns from 2006 to 2009 that understated earnings at the store by $1,572,162, according to Maryland U.S. AttorneyRod J. Rosenstein.

When Michelle Ha came to the United States in 1980, she dreamed of getting a college degree and returning to South Korea to become a politician. That didn't happen, but she's still serving her community. From the liquor store she runs in a downtrodden part of East Baltimore, she works as a liaison to other Korean-American-owned businesses, a minder of children and seniors and an organizer of many large holiday meals. Ha also does her part to deter crime, police and neighbors say. "A lot of business owners make money in the city and don't support the community, but that's not me," said Ha from her Kay's Liquor and Convenience, in the 2400 block of Biddle St. "Now the city wants to take my life away.

City health officials want to strip the licenses of dozens of liquor stores in predominantly poor Baltimore neighborhoods, linking the outlets to higher levels of violent crime. Health and planning officials said Friday that they will use a citywide rezoning effort to force some stores that don't conform to current law to move, shut or change their offerings. "Clearly alcohol and violence are two of the major issues affecting the city," said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, city health commissioner, who is helping to lead the effort against the stores.

The dozens of liquor stores located in Baltimore's residential neighborhoods are unquestionably harmful to the city. Besides being a drag on property values and in many cases a contributor to blight, these stores, grandfathered in under older, looser zoning regulations, are a threat to public health. Not only is their presence associated with the medical problems of alcohol abuse but Johns Hopkins researchers have also found a link between these stores and increased violent crime. Baltimore health and planning officials are well justified in making their reduction or elimination a top goal.

Update:  In an email Friday, drama teacher Maura Morrison said Thursday night's show was standing room only with people turned away from the 900-seat auditorium. “Wegmans' executives were there and were wildly supportive of our show,” Morrison wrote. She added that the local Wegmans provided shirts, hats, signs and a paper towel display for the zero-budget class project. “They never asked to see the script. They had a real sense of humor about it all.” Wegmanshas built a loyal following with mega supermarkets known for gourmet cheeses, French patisseries, European-style cafes and attentive service.

If local pharmacists could write the regulations, Marylanders probably wouldn't ever have been allowed to get their prescriptions filled at chain stores like Walgreens and Rite-Aid. Independent video stores probably would have liked to outlaw Blockbuster, just as small bookstore owners probably would have been just as happy if the state had a ban on Barnes & Noble. (For that matter, Blockbuster might like an injunction against Netflix and Barnes & Noble on Amazon.com.) And most of all, Main Street merchants everywhere would probably love a world where Walmart was illegal.