CVS Pharmacy is the latest Wauwatosa business to be granted a license to sell beer and liquor. This comes about a month after Walgreens received a license to sell beer and liquor at its four Wauwatosa locations.
Alderwoman Linda Nikcevich has proposed limiting liquor licenses and the city may ban gas stations from selling beer.
Is it becoming too easy to buy liquor in Wauwatosa? Does more access to alcohol cause more problems? Or are these concerns outweighed by the convenience to shoppers? Let us know what you think!
See related story (Dec. 16)
See related story (Nov. 18)
(33) Read All ResponsesThere is no need to give walgreens a liquor license. The Pick and Save is right down the block along with Sendicks and Stores in town that sells liquor. It will just cause trouble in the areas they are selling in. What is next?, New bars in the neighborhood?
It makes no difference how many places sell liquor as long as they follow the law. My only worry is that places like Walgreens or Target will not have enough security to prevent thefts like what has been happening at Pick n Save.
What's next? Gas stations selling beer and wine?
i will drink tonight because alcohol is 5 minutes away now instead of 8. I usually dont drink but just knowing they sell it so close will make it too hard to resist. It is a legal product if your 21. to limit the sale of a legal product is asinine
There can never be too many places to get liqour.
This should have little impact. It just broadens the ability to purchase, without making a special trip. You will not find the selection of Wine at these outlets that you do at Ray's and the intelligence of the help is also suspect.
Welcome to Wisconsin. Here EVERY store (grocery, gas station, diner, etc.) sells alcohol in some fom of at least beer and all but the gas stations sell more than that. Do we have a drinking problem in this state - No we have an intelligence and common sense problem - as in not enough of either. We have FAR too many alcohol related crashes (they are NOT accidents folks) here and you can look above and see why. Other states restrict the sale of these beverages why don't we get with the program and do what surrounding states are doing for a change and save a fwe lives instead of worry how we make more $$ for the brewery and tavern leragues?
Easier access to alcohol is not the cause of problems in Wauwatosa. People cause problems, not alcohol. Stores that sell products used in home should be able to add alcohol sales to their offering. I say let the market decide where beer, wine and liquor sales work best, not the common council.
It makes no difference if Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, or any other retailer sells liquor. In other cities around the country, you can pick up alcohol at any gas station or convenience mart 24/7, and they seem to have less issues with alcohol. If people want to purchase or obtain (without purchasing) alcohol, they will find a way, whether Walgreens sells it or not. The problem is not that alcohol is being sold and/or consumed. The problem is that people make alcohol a 'big sin' which forces people to hide their consumption which causes further problems. So ease up, people. Tosa is not going to turn ghetto because of the new liquor licenses.
Just moved to Charlotte NC about 3 months ago after living in Wisconsin for 44 years where I was born. Liquor stores are all state run and bars are few and far between. There is little tolerance for drunk people. I grew up in a culture of drinking. I did not realize how bad it was until I moved away.
Living in the era of the "Great George W. Bush Recession/Depression", we need more booze outlets in Wauwatosa, net less.
Check ID's, don't sell after 9pm and everything should be fine. If there are problems, then remove the license. Maybe issue the licenses on a probationary basis to start.
Nothing wrong with it. Competition is always good. Most gas stations outside of Milwaukee County sell beer and wine. People get their drugs from Walgreen's. They might as well be able to get a six pack to wash them down with.
Do you think that if there were fewer gas stations that people would buy less gas? Or if there were fewer grocery stores people would buy less food? Think about it. This argument is totally ridiculous.
Why don't we just stand at the door and hand it out? Seems wherever you go in Tosa they have some type of alcohol. There is Rays, 4 Walgreens, 2 Pick n Saves, 3 Sendiks, Sunrise Liquior, Sentry, Tosa Liquior, another one by KMart, Target, tabacco Outlet, Open Pantry all less than 3 miles from where I live. That is 18 places! Do I think it is over kill? Sure. People wonder why we have so many thefts and under age drinking? Open your eyes.
It's legal... Who cares? Must be a slow news day.
Is it becoming too easy to buy liquor in Tosa? Talk about media trying to make something out of nothing... It's not like they're allowing Walgreens to sell to minors. If someone is going to steal beer from Walgreens, they'll do the same anywhere else.
I'm often shocked by the apparent "puritans" that seem to abhor the retail sale of liquor. Alcohol is legal to purchase (if you're of age), but selling it requires a license, which is appropriate. Approving liquor licenses for businesses with a track record of following the applicable laws is appropriate. Revoking a license when that business proves itself irresponsible is also appropriate. Selling alcohol at the local corner store isn't going to cause Wauwatosa to turn into a wasteland of vagrancy. These aren't drive-through liquor stores. Come back to reality, please.
What is the problem? You still have to show ID to make a purchase. Heaven forbid the Common Council makes life more convenient for its citizens.
Why is this an issue? As long as laws are followed. What difference dose it make if 3 places sold liquor or 5000. The alcohol is still going to be there.
Why should Pick 'n Save get a competitive advantage over Walgreen's or any other taxpaying, law abiding business for that matter?
Seems to me the MJS is pandering for the neo-prohibitionist Media Outlet of the Year Award. Another article in a long line of trying to re-educate readers to support MADD's misguided agendas. Fine job.
With a state that seems to see no limits on alcohol does Wauwatosa need to simply accept the fact or can we take a stand? As every corner sells liquor do we dilute the quality of the real liquor stores, make it only about price and promote alcohol abuse?
Who cares.
I believe alcohol has been too easy to get from the begining, so it doesn't matter wether it's at Walgreens, at the court house or next door. Many will go where it is. I guess if it's close, then they don't have much distance to get in trouble, i.e. speeding, drunk driving, road rage etc... I do believe we need to create more activities that envolves participation, because we begin drinking for entertainment, but eventually, it's our answer to everything. Wonder why Wisconsin is one of the top leading drunken city and why many of us are over weight. I don't know the answer, but more liquor stores, bars, taverns, etc is not the answer. We must think about the long term affect. Our children pay for our abuse, may it be the genes they receive, the out comes of our decisions or the decision to fix things that they had no doing with. God Help us all.
Just what we need in the area of 68th and State, another place to purchase booze. Is it too much of a problem to drive the additional 100 feet to get to Sentry, or another block and a half to get to Pick n Save? It's difficult enough to get service at that Walgreens now, I cannot wait to see the ace security team they will have for the liquor!
It's better for me to drive drunk and smashed to a booze outlet that is only 3 blocks from my home rather than 12 blocks. "Too much" is NEVER enough! Drive thru booze outlets would be ideal.
wow, some really questionable comments on here.... Really Tom & Lita-alcohol is not the problem???? Clearly most of you haven't had your lives affected by alcohol or had a life taken because someone chose to DRINK & drive.... wake up, get ready for more thefts, more robberies, more crime----it's a least 1x a week that someone is being arrested at Sentry or Pick N Save for stealing alcohol... But no it's not a problem----get real people!!!
Who cares how many places sell it? Do we know if its causing any problems? If not, let it be. I always go to Ray's. If CVS wants to sell a legal substance let them.
Let's not turn into a COMPLETE nanny state.
It's too often forgotten that most people who purchase alcoholic beverages are social drinkers. That is, their drinking does not interfere with their functioning, whereas about ten percent of drinkers have serious problems as a result of their drinking. So it's convenient to be able to purchase alcoholic beverages in various places. Not allowing some places to sell alcoholic beverages doesn't deter the problem drinker. They'll find a place to make such purchases no matter how inconvenient.
Another liberity lost to the nannies. Another reason not to own a business in Wauwatosa. The easy access of alcohol is not the problem. The problem is as I see it is that the morons that make decisions at the local and the state levels don't know how to solve problems so they just try to eliminate problems. The word incompetent comes to mind.
It definitely is convenient to be able to pick up a six-pack when running other errands. But is that outweighed by the problems? Be the first to comment!