People should drink ‘Wisconsinbly’
By Trey Foerster, Publisher
Did you know that Waupaca County is the 39th most ‘drunken’ county in the state with 27.2 percent binge or heavy drinking?
Did you know that driving deaths involving alcohol for the county is 37.8 percent – which makes it the 556th highest of the 3,081 counties in the country.
Did you know that the state ranks third for alcoholic consumption at 64.4 percent?
Did you know that the current bar owners’ concern about police presence outside their establishment is not even close to new?
The Village of Iola doesn’t have a police problem, it has a drinking abuse challenge.
Back “in the day” Mike Schertz and Bobby Clark motivated young “longhairs” to seek other bars outside the village limits when they’d be partying. It was a lot more obvious back then. And so it has been generation after generation in the Village of Iola.
The current “crisis” is a tad overblown, in my opinion. Persons going out to dine and having 1-2 drinks shouldn’t fear the police. People must drink, as the saying goes, Wisconsinbly: know your limits and if you intend to drink more then you should bring a designated driver. This concept is not new.
If a bar owner or bartender thinks someone shouldn’t be driving anywhere after being served, they are responsible in securing other transportation for that patron either with other patrons or calling someone to provide transportation to their impaired customer. It’s the right thing to do. It is a very bad feeling to learn someone you had served left your establishment and crashed and, God forbid, injured others because of an alcohol impairment. There are also legal consequences to the establishment.
It is quite presumptuous on the part of bar owners to have village trustees order police to look the other way because of drinking and driving infractions. It is their duty/job to protect as well as serve, and at times that means protecting others from impaired drivers.
Step 1: Bar owners and bartenders need to be the adults in the room and take responsibility as they are required under state law.
Step 2: Bar patrons need to drink Wisconsinbly. If you intend on drinking more than state limits allow, have a designated driver along.
When these two steps are taken, there is no need to “fear” a police presence in the streets. No one will be doing anything wrong or illegal.