Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(January 19, 2013 - January 25, 2014)
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As I See It... 

   

Recently, the Rochester Post Bulletin printed an editorial endorsing Sunday Sales of alcohol.   

 

The thought, "beware of the unseen consequences" entered my mind.   

 

Sunday sales could affect so many people in so many ways.  From the obvious, of a family owned store being forced out of business to the incremental of losing the sponsor for an adult softball team.   

 

Some argue the law is antiquated, but the economics of Sunday sales are very present day.

 

I would encourage you to contact your representative and make yourself heard!

 

My letter of response to the Post Bulletin, which was limited to 200 words:

 

Current legislative action regarding liquor sales on Sunday, would not come without a cost.  I do not believe the cost is worth the added convenience.

 

Opposition to Sunday sales is a matter of economics for store owners and managers.   

 

It will spread six days sales, over seven days, with additional labor and utility costs.   

 

The result would ultimately drive profits down or prices to the consumer, up.   

 

The proponents who glibly offer, that a liquor store does not have to open on Sunday, or could be closed another day of the week, do not understand competitive industry.

 

Sunday sales, could lead to the elimination of 3.2 beer and thus, result in wine & strong beer sales in grocery and convenience stores.   

 

In a state where elected officials tout their allegiance to 'Mom & Pop' businesses this legislation could prove detrimental.

 

"Why in our right mind as Minnesotans would we perpetuate policy that exports our commerce to neighboring states?" Drazkowski asked.

 

Perhaps the answer to this question is not the days that Minnesota stores are open, but rather the fact that the sales tax on beer and alcohol  in Wisconsin is 5.5 percent while in Minnesota it is 9.37 per cent.

 

Catherine Pletta
Bad Excuses for Not Checking ID
Under 21

A Metro Minnesota police department recently ran stings at  businesses that hold liquor licenses to make sure they aren't selling alcohol to minors.

According to the local newspaper, 10 out of 56 establishments failed the compliance check. And asked why they sold booze to underaged folks, three of the busted employees, in particular, offered up humorous excuses.

In one instance, the clerk said he was so blinded by a 19-year-old customer's beauty that he decided to press his store's magic button.

The 62 clerk, never asked for an ID. He stated the 19-year-old customer was very pretty. He further stated she appeared to be over 30 and there was a button he could press at the register that allowed him to bypass the date-of-birth entry.

At another establishment a 68-year-old clerk sold booze to a minor without asking for ID but explained that "it was the end of his shift and there was a line, so he was trying to move quickly. 

At another location, a 63-year-old employee said he simply "totally forgot" to ask for ID after he was caught selling to a minor red-handed.

At least those guys had excuses. However at an asian diner, a 22-year-old manager checked a minor's ID, but then proceeded to sell them booze anyway. Perhaps she didn't realize employees don't get any points merely for making an effort.

While their excuses may have been amusing, the penalties the aforementioned employees face are not. All who failed the compliance checks have been charged with gross misdemeanors and face maximum penalties of a year behind bars and/or a $3,000 fine.
Fergus Falls Journal Editorial: Sunday Liquor Law Fine As Is
Sunday

Make no mistake, it would be beneficial to consumers if the Legislature passed a bill to allow liquor stores to sell alcohol on Sunday.

However, the hardship it would put on liquor stores, including municipal liquor stores in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area, seem to outweigh the convenience to consumers.

Since the days of prohibition, the laws preventing the sale of alcohol at liquor stores on Sundays was to maintain control over the sale of a product that clearly can be harmful if abused.

That said, the fact is that Minnesotans are used to the law, and have planned their shopping patterns around it.

Changing it would mean liquor stores, both private and municipal, would spend more money on staffing, utilities and other expenses, and would not likely see an increase in revenue, since sales would be spread out over seven days instead of six.

Other than convenience, there does not seem to be a dire need to change the law. Let's just leave it as it is.
Lynn Johnson Remembered

By StarTribune

When Lynn Johnson passed away after a long illness, family and associates say they didn't just lose a father and successful businessman. They lost the blueprint for how to build a life through hard work, dedication and focus.

 

Johnson, 84, built his Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. into one of the nation's largest wholesalers with the same kind of tireless worth ethic and passion that he approached every part of his life, longtime friend Sam Kaplan said.

 

"I regarded him to be one of the most unforgettable people I have ever known," said Kaplan, who knew Johnson for 40 years. "He had passion for everything he did. Work, family. He was so focused on whatever he was doing, you could just see that he had every one of the nerve endings in his mind focusing on that."

 

Johnson used that determination - and seemingly endless hours of work - to build Johnson Brothers from a one-man operation in St. Paul into a nationwide distributor with more than 2,200 employees, said his son and business partner, Todd Johnson. As a boy, Lynn grew up in St. Paul learning from his parents, who ran family grocery and hotel businesses, and absorbed their entrepreneurial spirit.

 

After attending St. Thomas Academy and the University of Minnesota - and stints in the Minnesota National Guard and U.S. Air Force - Johnson launched into the liquor business as "a one-man band," his son said.

He spent days selling, filling orders in a rented warehouse at night and making deliveries early the next morning with his only truck.

 

"He was a 24-year-old kid going against industry giants. He was like a guy setting up a hamburger stand saying he was going to take on McDonalds and Burger King," Todd Johnson said. "He had little money, no sales force. But he had guts, drive, determination and competitiveness. He ended up buying many of them out years later."

 

Johnson later established the Lynn Johnson Family Foundation to give back to the community, supporting schools, hospitals, police and other organizations. More recently, he started a scholarship for children of the liquor industry, Todd Johnson said. And, a few years ago, he helped start the Shalom Johnson Hospice Center in St. Paul, dedicated to the memory of his parents Yale and Sara.

 

"My dad felt strongly that everyone should be able to die in dignity, no matter who they are, how much money they had, or where they came from," Todd Johnson said.

 

Kaplan, a well-known Twin Cities attorney and general counsel for the Minnesota Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association, delivered Johnson's eulogy to nearly 700 people at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul. Johnson, he told the crowded synagogue, lived every moment to the fullest.

 

And he wanted people to know they mattered to him. Johnson, who had 11 grandchildren, would invite them to his house one at a time so each could feel special.

 

Johnson is survived by his wife, Gloria, of St. Paul; his brother, Mitchell Johnson, of Minneapolis; daughter, Robin Johnson of Eden Prairie; sons Brad Johnson of Edina and Michael and Todd Johnson of St. Paul.

 

"We won't see another one like him anytime soon," Kaplan said.

 

(MMBA extends sympathies to Lynn's family and friends.) 

The Secret of Enjoying a Good Wine

Future Dates to Remember!!
 2014 MMBA Boot Camp

 

February 17 - 19

Breezy Point Resort

 

Click Here for More Information 

 

2014 MMBA / MLBA Legislative Day

 

March 10

Kelly Inn, St. Paul  

 

2014 MMBA Annual Conference

 

May 17 - 20

Arrowwood Resort 

Sunday Sales: Convenience at What Cost?
The MMBA website now contains comprehensive information on Sunday Sales. 

It is a reference for members, legislators, media, city councils and the general public.

Click Here for the Website

 

Ask A Director

Gary Buysse
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Cathy Pletta
Kasson
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Nancy Drumsta
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Michael Friesen
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Karissa Kurth
Buffalo Lake
320-833-2321
 
Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925

 
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