Economic Growth- Wet vs Dry

     In the next few days and months we will hear a lot from opposing sides over the dry/wet issue and any benefits or downfalls with the passage of a law allowing alcohol sales in Columbia County.   
     I would be one of the first to say that Magnolia needs a push for economic growth.  Lower South Arkansas does not have a lot going for it at this time, and it appears we are always last when it comes to any consideration in obtaining interstates and two lane highways.  One would think that a college town has a lot going for it.  Yet, the town does not even support a movie theater or a bowling alley.   Other than the churches which do a wonderful job working with the youth, there is little other good constructive entertainment for young people. 
     Magnolia hosts a great Blossom Festival every year, bringing in people from various locations.  Hopefully, with the addition of the rodeo arena at the college we will have an annual rodeo event that will do the same.  These events are important to Magnolia and the revenue they create. 
     I, must however, state that I am not at all sure that voting the county wet will create the additional revenue hoped for when you look at the other expenses and problems created by it.  I would be much more open-minded to voting for a law which would allow restaurants to obtain permits to sell alcoholic beverages in their establishments according to regulated rules.  We would not have to see liquor stores springing up in and around our city.  The sells in restaurants would be controlled under the rules of the permit.  The ability for underage teens to obtain alcohol in Columbia County would be either eliminated or under the control of the restaurant owners at the risk of losing their license.  Alcoholic beverages could not be carried outside the establishment.  It would not be a bar type situation without requiring the consumption of food.   
     The Texas side of Texarkana is dry; it is clean, and they have very nice restaurants with permits to serve alcoholic drinks and which people from Magnolia visit.  I have never seen anyone stumble drunkenly out of any of them.  I have never witnessed a loud, drunken commotion.   
     I, personally, ate several times in Magnolia at Bayou Bistro because I enjoyed the nice clean, quiet atmosphere.  The times I was there, surprisingly about 2/3 or more of the patrons had either water or tea at their table.   When I eat in Texarkana, there is a mix of people.  Generally, I see as many people with water or tea as I do with wine or some other drink.  I look at it as their business not mine.    
     I do not want to see Magnolia become wet, but I do realize that people who come to Magnolia for special events would enjoy being able to eat at a nice restaurant and have the drink of their choice.  I would rather see them able to do this and actually spend about 3 times the amount on a single glass of wine than purchase a whole bottle for approximately the same price at a Columbia County liquor store. 
     Everyone has to do what their heart tells them and what their beliefs lead them to do, and I may be wrong, but I firmly believe that if Bayou Bistro had been allowed to operate their business within the guidelines of their approved liquor license much like the local country club does and has for years, we would not be having this issue today.  There were some Magnolia people who would not patronize Bayou Bistro, not because of the quality of their food but because they served alcohol; however, they would patronize restaurants out of town that did.  Bayou Bistro might still have gone out of business.  Who knows?
     There were prominent, elderly long-time Magnolia citizens in the paper this past week who signed the petition to place this decision on the ballot.   They and many others who sign the petition have seen Magnolia at its best and they truly believe in and want economic growth.   I hope we all do.  Making their signature of public record does not indicate how they will vote or how they should be judged.
     I am not advocating for any kind of liquor sells in Columbia County but only offering up, what I believe to be, a better alternative for a ballot to be voted on rather than the one currently on the table; that is, if there has to be an alternate.   As a financial banker I  would be inclined to vote for what would provide, in my mind, "economic growth", but as a Christian I do not believe in the separation of God in any decision that has to be made for the benefit of our community. 
     God blesses those who stay within His will.   I would like to see economic growth, but most of all I want Magnolia to be a place I can say, “I am proud to call my hometown", and I want God's blessings on this community. 
     When I go back to Numbers 35:34 God tells Moses that, "You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself.  I am the Lord, who lives among the people..." 
     I also believe in the power of prayer and there must be a better solution to economic growth for Magnolia and Columbia County than bringing liquor stores into our community and thus into our homes.  
     I go back to what I heard Joel Osteen say, "God can make a rainshower without even a cloud in the sky." So why not band together and pray together.  Let God bring a rainshower of economic growth to Magnolia and Columbia County. 
     With that said and with wishful thinking, wouldn’t it be wonderful if our local businesses would band together to do something much like Murphy Oil did for El Dorado when they formed the El Dorado Promise?  It would be a great incentive for families to want to move here, live here, and “Grow Magnolia.”