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Last Thursday, City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown heartened herself to Philadelphia barflies, night owls and don't-wanna-go-homers by introducing The Extended Bar Hours for Education Bill, which proposes that last call at local drinkeries be pushed back one hour, from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., for the budgetary benefit of our struggling School District. The 10 percent taxation of alcohol raised approximately $42 million for schools in the 2010 fiscal year; Brown, Council's newly elected Majority Whip, estimates this idea could generate $5 million more.
The bill is in its infancy — it would still have to earn approval within the State General Assembly for City Hall to gain the authority to tweak bar operating hours, which are lorded over by the PLCB. But like anything in Philly involving the word "liquor," it's already garnered strong reactions. (Mayor Nutter, for one, is not a fan of Brown's proposal, per The Inquirer.) We touched base with Councilwoman Brown late last week to get some background on her bill and her honest take on its chances in Harrisburg.
Where and with whom did the idea for this bill originate? How did the conversation get started?
In early June 2011, the Philadelphia Daily News ran a story offering creative, unconventional ideas on how to find more funding for our schools without raising property, wage or sales taxes. One of those ideas was extending bar hours to increase the tax revenue brought in by the liquor tax. We put a spotlight on the idea by posing the question to our Facebook/Twitter followers via a poll. The response to date has generated 529 "YES" and 64 "NO" votes. Due to the overwhelming feedback, we began to research the issue, which led to the ultimate introduction of the bill on January 26.
What is the tentative timeline for the bill in Harrisburg right now?
Unclear, but we are hopeful that it can be voted on favorably in 2012.
Have you gauged feedback from local bar owners and bartenders about the pros and cons of the bill?
Not in a formal way, but we plan to do so. We will hold a series of stakeholder meetings to further gauge public opinion and receive needed feedback, which will help us get to a better bill. I can say that anecdotally, there appears to be more in favor than opposed in terms of bar owners and bartenders. Following the introduction of the bill, we again reached out to our Facebook/Twitter followers to solicit all opinions, and the responses continue to pour in. We invite all to share their thoughts.
In addition to those philosophically opposed to liquor taxation funding education, early critics of your idea seem concerned with public safety — some claim a later last call would translate to hazards in the form of more intoxicated people on the street. What do you say in defense of the bill?
The data that we have encountered shows that, if implemented thoughtfully, there is an opportunity to enhance public safety. For example, when Seattle, Washington recently proposed their extension of hours, the Seattle Police Department came out as a strong supporter. For those with a philosophical issue with [liquor taxation] funding schools, I would argue that we can leave no stone unturned. We don't want to raise taxes and it is unrealistic to think we will receive the needed dollars from other government resources. Our children deserve the best and this proposal can be a building block on the bridge to a great education.
How much traction do you honestly think this bill has, both with City Hall and with Harrisburg?
I am optimistic. I have not taken a poll but am encouraged by the response I have received [from] my colleagues in City Council thus far. My initial conversations with those on the state level have been encouraging, as well.
On a broader note, in this age of austerity, our friends in Harrisburg have made it clear to Philadelphia and the rest of the Commonwealth that it has no intention [to bail] us out at every budget shortfall. I am hopeful that they will view this as a good faith effort by Philadelphia to generate more revenue for ourselves and increase profits for businesses without raising taxes and without asking for an additional dime from the State Capitol.
Photo: Neal Santos
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