Losing Freedoms: Minneapolis controlling business

If you own a business in Minneapolis …take notice! Once again the Minneapolis City Council is throwing its weight around trying to control businesses. The latest is Gabby’s bar in Northeast, and the city is threatening the liquor license of a 22 year old business. In a response to neighborhood complaints of alleged Gabby patrons causing some admittedly big time problems in the area, the council is trying to tack on some additional unregulated requirements to their liquor license. Security and alcohol service management plans that must be submitted to the city, reduction of already approved occupant limit, and elimination of free drink specials. Isn’t there a more creative way of addressing the problems than trying to dry up a business? Isn’t that what these politicians are hired to do?

Of course this comes from council members like Diane Hofstede who back in 2006 tried to amend the liquor license of the Loring Park bar stipulating that any live music played at the bar on Mondays and Tuesdays would be of the same style as that which is performed there the rest of the week. What’s next Diane, No Greenies? This is the same band of vigalaties that bring the tax payers multi-million lawsuits because they abused their power. Remember the 8 million settlement with Metro Produce for the late night trucks in Longfollow? Minneapolis City Council, why change now? They have a history of costing the tax payers big bucks for their mishandling of problem resolution. Don’t say Kondirator in Northeast! After 20 years of fighting this metal shedder on the river they still lose and end up robbing the coffers to the tune of almost 9 million dollars. Incompletent and expenseive! This was a problem that should have never occurred in the first place. Unless the geniuses in city hall can come up with a better way of handling themselves, all I have to say is…grab your wallets because here we go again.