Opposition ramps up...

[StumpyBeagle]

From: The City Paper

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/opposition-ramps-guns-bars-bill-moves-forward

Opposition ramps up as guns-in-bars bill moves forward

Monday, April 12, 2010 at 10:45pm By James Nix

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<!--paging_filter-->Two of Nashville’s most vocal groups opposing a so-called “guns-in-bars” bill are speaking up again as another version of the bill moves forward in the General Assembly.

Restaurateur Randy Rayburn, who spearheaded attempts to thwart last year’s guns-in-bars bill, released a statement Monday saying, “This law is harmful to our business, customers, employees and tourism in general. The other cities have used our ‘Wild West’ legislation against us to help convince convention groups not to visit Tennessee according to our Convention and Visitors Bureau.”

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce last week reiterated its stance on guns in bars.

“We support Second Amendment rights, but we feel this legislation sends the wrong message to our citizens and our visitors about who we are and what we value as a state and as communities,” Debby Dale Mason wrote in a statement.

Mason is the chief community action officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Any legislation that allows the mixing of guns and alcohol hampers our ability to market our state and city as business and family relocation destinations and can deeply affect those who already call Tennessee home,” Mason said.

Last year’s bill would have allowed gun permit holders to carry guns in restaurants where food is the main source of business. Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman deemed the bill unconstitutional, ruling that its vagueness made determining a restaurant’s main source of business too difficult.

A new version of the bill, expected to go before the state House Ways and Means committee on Tuesday, would overcome any vagueness by allowing permitted gun users to carry in any venue.

In the past, Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas as said that alcohol and guns don’t mix.

“Chief Serpas’ position on guns in bars has not change. He continues to believe the concept is not conducive to public safety and is not good public policy.”

“He just disagrees with the concept and has not changed his posture since this type of legislation was first introduced a year ago,”

Restaurants and bars can opt out by posting signs telling customers that guns aren’t permitted inside.

Nice to see an unbiased article where both sides are represented... Edited April 13, 2010 by jdredmond

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Good for them. Tells who they really are. A police chief who can't just do his job, a body for commerce that doesn't know how to stay out of other people's affairs and a restaurant owner busy body who doesn't want customers in a safe environment because of his political affiliation. When you are able to protect yourself, the need to protect to

protect yourself diminishes because the criminals know they have lost.

[Smith]

Now why can't they just get back to sending racist e-mails to each other.

[Guest HvyMtl]

"Guns in Bars" - and you say no bias?

[Bigiron]

My thoughts eggzackly.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

I love how it reads "guns and alcohol dont mix" when, if the bill would be passed, they wouldn't be mixed due to the whole "not drinking and carrying" idea. But they're too biased to actually read something, they'd rather just spout their mouth off and be ignorant.

[Guest manofsteel]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol! The constitution does not give the right to have, own, or use alcohol but it does guns.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol! The constitution does not give the right to have, own, or use alcohol but it does guns.

hahahahahaha...

[Worriedman]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol!

How else could our Legislators afford to run a campaign without the "Hospitality (read liqueur) Lobby"?

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

I was thinking about joining the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. I guess not now.....

[Guest faust921]

I ate at the Sunset Grill recently, because I met some family traveling through Nashville, and being from out of town I did not know who the owner was. I always avoid spending my money where the management is unconcerned for public safety. Has anyone ever heard of an AD in a restaurant in TN? I've heard of some murders. Is saw his dome as little sign and had it been anyone but my road weary 82 year old mother with me that saw it in Fodor's I would have walked across the street to another restaurant.

I can say that the Sunset Grill in Nashville owned by Randy whoever is overrated. I had some jambalaya pasta dish that is supposedly their specialty dish, the only dish still on the menu since the restaurant opened.

It had all of the flair of something that comes out of a can, with a predictable, loveless marinara. The sausage component was scarce AND could have easily been Eckrich or some store brand. If you've every had a cup of jambalaya that started as a roux, you would not have recognized this dish as being inspired by anything related to jambalaya. Ambiance was lacking. Service was polite but reserved. When you have been in sales and have taken clients out to dinner many times, you really start to learn how a change in Chefs or managers can really take a place off it's game. I suspect that is what has happened here. The fare at Chili's has more going for it than the fare at Sunset Grill. Interestingly, the parking and neighborhood around the restaurant would be an excellent place to rob a patron or break into a car.

Kudos to Randy for turning Paul Prudomme into Chef Boyardee. Boring. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't good or remarkable in any way. Any run of the mill brewpub usually puts forth a better effort. Maybe this guy should spend more time in his kitchen and less time trying to disarm the citizens of TN.

Edited April 18, 2010 by faust921

[Mad_Squirrell]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol! The constitution does not give the right to have, own, or use alcohol but it does guns.

You think crime and corruption are bad now hahahaha!!

[krunchnik]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol! The constitution does not give the right to have, own, or use alcohol but it does guns.

I believe there is a point to this,I wonder what the real statistics are in the use of alcohol and traffic deaths related to drunk driving.I would be willing to bet my Springer that there are more traffic fatalities a year caused by impaired operation of autos than there are cases of deaths by impaired gun play.

[analog_kidd]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol! The constitution does not give the right to have, own, or use alcohol but it does guns.

Yanno, I've been saying this all along. They keep saying guns and alcohol don't mix. They also say that about driving and alcohol, operating machinery and alcohol, going to work and alcohol, dating and alcohol, teens and alcohol. Seems to me the problem is with alcohol, not the other half of each equation.

Make it legal to sell only from a package store, where you have to take it home to drink.

[USMCJG]

I believe there is a point to this,I wonder what the real statistics are in the use of alcohol and traffic deaths related to drunk driving.I would be willing to bet my Springer that there are more traffic fatalities a year caused by impaired operation of autos than there are cases of deaths by impaired gun play.

If you take out suicides, more people die as the result of drunk driving than by all firearms combined every year. This includes accidental deaths, murders, and even cops and citizens killing criminals with firearms.

[Ebow1]

"maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol"

They tried back in the 20s.

[DMark]

..... Kudos to Randy for turning Paul Prudomme into Chef Boyardee.... Maybe this guy should spend more time in his kitchen and less time trying to disarm the citizens of TN.

My Vote for the Best Food Review of all time!

Well Done...., And I Agree 100%!

[Guest archerdr1]

maybe they should just outlaw all alcohol! The constitution does not give the right to have, own, or use alcohol but it does guns.

now hold on, that thinking could get you into trouble!!!

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Now why can't they just get back to sending racist e-mails to each other.

Give them time and maybe they will do like in New

Orleans and start breaking legs.