Thursday, October 05, 2006

Guess who has no opinion on the Massachusetts wine referendum?

Question 1 on the Massachusetts ballot this November is a referendum on whether supermarkets will be allowed to sell wine. The package stores are fighting the measure since it will cut into their business and they’ve enlisted the support from the police associations claiming it will lead to more drunk-driving deaths. The supermarkets are backing question 1 but guess what group has been very quiet?

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

The Massachusetts chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which has adopted a neutral position in the debate over allowing more food stores to sell wine, lists as sponsors two of the supermarket chains leading the fight for the wine measure.

Stop & Shop Supermarkets regularly contributes to MADD. It donated $15,000 to sponsor the group's recent Strides for Change fund-raising walk. Shaw's Supermarkets contributed $2,500. Big Y supermarkets has also been a financial supporter, MADD officials said.
They need that money to fight future referendums, I suppose.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And here's what MADD said in Minnestota on the exact same proposal:

MADD Position Statement: Wine in Grocery Stores

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Minnesota and its Youth in Action Team opposes the expansion of wine into grocery stores.

Grocery stores traditionally employ teenagers as employees and service teenagers as customers.

To increase the availability of wine by increasing locations may result in the increase of alcohol-related problems for our youth.

Research clearly shows that underage drinking increases as alcohol availability increases -- when alcohol is more available, it is easier for young people to obtain.

Compliance check data have proved that those stores, including grocery stores show worse compliance rates with youth access laws than liquor stores.

MADD is committed to the prevention of underage youth access and consumption of alcohol.