Voters in Benton County surely must see the handwriting on the wall when it comes to voting to bring themselves about $33 million in alcohol sales each year. I mean if my long-dry hometown of Harrison and its Boone County voted to go wet last year, I sure can’t see Benton County heading the other way, especially when it already holds a state record of 120 private clubs.
The UA’s center for Business and Economic research (aka: Kathy deck) arrived at that number after studying the viable economic possibilities in Benton County. Now the efforts underway to collect about 40,00 signatures to put this wet/dry question on the ballot come November.
Benton County already allows alcohol sales by the glass in businesses with a state private club license. The next logical step is to vote for keeping these millions at home by approving alcohol sales in liquor stores and restaurants.
Deck’s study that cited a potential $33 million sales increase would include the construction of new stores as well as more than 500 related jobs.
Truth is, it’s past time for Benton County, (the pistons in our state’s economic engine) to take claim all the lost dollars and make alcohol sales available just as they are in neighboring Washington County (the engine’s carburetor), Carroll County on its eastern edge and just across the adjacent border with Missouri.
Shoot fire folks, any way you look at it, Benton County is surrounded today by those who’ve been there a while.
