Personal Essay: I Propose To Change The Status Of Craighead County, Ar :: essays research papers

Personal Essay: I Propose To Change the Status of Craighead County, AR From A Dry To A Wet County I propose to change the current status of Craighead County, Arkansas from a dry county to a wet county. Although there are strong arguments that the benefits of being a dry county are greater than the drawbacks, it is important to reassess those ideas. There are two very important drawbacks to a dry county. One is the loss of businesses and revenues from businesses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages. The second is the safety of those who consume alcohol. First, we must consider the annual amount of money that leaves the pockets of Craighead County citizens and goes into the neighboring counties. As most know you are unable to purchase alcohol under the current laws. Yet, people do not refrain from the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Logically we can conclude that people purchase the alcohol elsewhere. Money that could recycle itself into the economy of Craighead County contributes to others. There are numerous small businesses along the county line that sell only alcohol. Craighead is a college county. College students spend approximately $4.2 billion annually to purchase 430 million gallons of alcoholic beverages. These businesses could be run here, in Jonesboro, instead of places like Harrisburg and Truman. The fact is that people are going to drink. Why not sell to Craighead citizens in Craighead? It makes far greater sense to put back where you take out. Meaning if you earn a living in Craighead one should purchase from those there as well. If the citizens could legally buy alcohol her they would not be helping out their neighbors. Not only by bringing in those stores that specialize in alcohol, but those businesses who serve it as well, Craighead could increase it's income for small business men and for the county. Tax money from liquor sales goes 20% to counties on basis of unincorporated population, and 80% to cities on basis of incorporated population. In turn that would increase employment by creating jobs. Certain restaurant chains refuse to expand into the area partially because they can not serve alcoholic beverages to those of legal age. Business creates jobs, that is a fact, but if business will not build in the area naturally there will be less work. By making Craighead County a "wet" county not only would it increase the per capita income of those there but increase the job availability as well. More important than the economic aspects of turning Craighead into a wet county is the safety of the citizens.