Sunday October 19, 2014 It’s Time to Close at 1:00AM

A couple of years ago amidst the whining and complaining of various bar owners and beer and liquor distributors, local politicians in both Hillsborough and Pinellas County along with Tampa and St. Pete were lobbied to expand bars hours to 3:00 AM.

There were cries of “needing” the extra business and in St. Pete cries from Councilman Jim Kennedy that horror above all horrors those wishing to continue to consume after local bars closed were driving to Tampa to continue to drink and we desperately needed to keep that money in St. Pete.

Well with all of that whining and a few well placed campaign contributions walla…. the bars could stay open until 3:00 AM.

Local law enforcement warned of problems, increased costs and more accidents but as in the old country song, alcohol can make you do most anything, and the bars won.

Before you accuse me of being a conservative teetotaler, check with anyone who knows me, and they will tell you I tip a few more than my share.

With the growing rash of late night wrong way auto accidents, eleven or so, taking lives along with late night alcohol related shootings and other events, it is time to reconsider the 3:00 AM bar closings and reduce the hours.

I was against it when the politicians agreed and more against it now. Simply put nobody needs to set in a bar and drink until 3:00 AM. Nobody.

It’s time for the local PI attorneys to chase back some of these incidents to the last

 bar these people were served in and hold them accountable.

Let’s raise the cost and see if the bars still want to be open.

Sans that, it is time for the local politicians to get some backbone and shut the bars down at 12:00 AM or 1:00 AM and stop listening to all the whining.

Let’s put an end to all of the late night alcohol driven carnage and mayhem.

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Disclosures: Contributor to No Tax for Tracks.