Published: Friday August 11, 2006
Church groups and community leaders fend off business coalitions formed to persuade "dry" counties and towns in the south to "go wet," the New York Times will report in Saturday's edition, RAW STORY has found.
"While much of America put prohibition to rest 73 years ago, large areas of the South have remained strictly off limits to alcohol sales," writes Melanie Warner for the Times.
"But now, local and national business interests that stand to profit from the sale of liquor, including real estate developers, grocery chains, restaurant groups and Wal-Mart, are combining their political and financial muscle to persuade hundreds of dry towns and counties to go wet, changing the face of the once staunchly prohibitionist Bible Belt," the article continues.
"These business groups have persuaded voters in nearly 200 dry towns and 25 dry counties in six Southern states to legalize the sale of alcohol in stores and restaurants," writes Warner.
"But attempts to allow alcohol sales in other places that remain dry -- 413 counties still prohibit such sales -- are meeting fierce resistance from church groups and community leaders," the article continues.
Excerpt from the article:
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Wal-Mart has financed dozens of local elections, contributing from $5,000 to $20,000 a campaign, said Tim Reeves of Beverage Election Specialists, which supports local alcohol referendums.
Wal-Mart, which is based in a dry county in Arkansas, forbids drinking at events held at corporate headquarters. But the giant retailer has made a push in the last year to sell more liquor, along with beer and wine, in its stores.
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