But the Tennessee legislature does not owe the newspaper business anything. A temporary increase in ad sales (from additonal ad pages about wine) won’t save a failing business model in the 21st century. But the result would be a free-for-all in the alcohol retailing business, perhaps leading to chain liquor stores and liquor in grocery stores.

The article goes on to explain the “local multiplier” effect.

If the liquor stores can sell ice, mixers, and “the like” – then who is going to make the definitions? According to this post, it will be the grocery retailers who will “gladly let” the liquor stores sell other products. Nice to know who is going to be deciding Tennessee laws.

So just break out your cookbooks, gang, because the following logic should be enough to get every legislator in Tennessee to wake up and smell the coffee and Bailey’s.

The following items are mixers:

Milk, Coffee, Orange Juice, Clam Juice, Eggs, Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Salt, Cranberry Juice, Pomegranate Juice, Olive Juice, Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Pineapple Juice, Tomato Juice, Beef Broth, Coconut Milk, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Club Soda, Tonic Water, Sugar Syrup, Bitters, Grapefruit Juice, Worcesteshire Sauce, Tobasco Sauce, Horseradish, Pepper, Half and Half, and more.

The following items are used as garnishes:

Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Pineapples, Apples, Grapes, Mint Leaves, Celery, Olives, Blue Cheese, Cinnamon, Pepper Flakes, Whipped Cream, Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar, Celery Salt, Old Bay Seasoning, Cherries, Minced Coconut, Jalpenos, Cucumbers, and of coure more.

This is where the slippery slope begins. If liquor stores are selling food items then every grocery store could be a liquor store. That’s what the grociers meant when they rewrote the bills to allow chain liquor stores – it would make every gas station and grocery store in Tennessee into a liquor store. I’m sure the Red, White & Food lobby will say, “But that’s not what we want!” but lobbyists are paid do DO things, not to KNOW things. The big grocery chains and the families behind them don’t live in Tennessee and could not care less what happens here. They sell liquor in any state it is allowed and would gladly take the profits. This is what they want.

And gas stations will do what makes money, period. They sell all sorts of stuff to the poor and underclass that don’t have any redeeming value at all. They would LOVE to put pints of Jim Beam right next to the cigarettes and other items they sell.

It doesn’t take a genius to see where this sort of irresponsible behavior would lead in a few years. I don’t see how any thinking person could be in support of this.

Are you guys going to delete this post too?