Lobbying for Profits

Here's the odor of Tavern League breath:

A large new shopping center planned at Pabst Farms may not have liquor licenses for as many as a dozen planned bars and restaurants after aldermen agreed to issue the city's last two available licenses to current applicants.

"It's not just Oconomowoc, but at least a dozen more communities across the state are in the same situation where they're out, or are almost out, of liquor licenses," said Curt Witynski, assistant director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.

State law regulates the number of Class B combination liquor licenses a community can issue. With some exceptions, the liquor license quota law restricts the number of such licenses to one per 500 residents. Class B combination licenses allow establishments to serve liquor, beer and wine and commonly are granted to full-service restaurants.

Want to increase profits? Limit the competition.

At least the Tavern League learned from one of the best--J D Rockefeller.