Opinions — March 18, 2010

March 18, 2010 · Filed Under Opinions · Comment 

Readers respond to Squire opinion column

Journalism is a service industry and the service we provide is awareness.

Armed with that awareness many Squire readers responded to an opinion piece that appeared in the January 21 edition of the Squire.

Titled “Michigan a dysfunction State of being,” the column focused readers attention on the hardship being imposed on a new Rockford restaurant by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC).

At the time the column appeared in the paper the new Mexican eatery, Cinco de Mayo, had been waiting almost eight months for the MLCC to issue a liquor license. The coveted license was the missing link to the restaurants future success.

Squire readers responded to the lengthy injustice described in the column by sending letters of concern to the Governors’ office and to the offices of state senator Mark Jensen and state representative Tom Pearce.

It appears that in short order the message got to the MLCC which shortly thereafter issued the long sought license on February 18, 2010.

Sharon Martin, acting director of the MLCC was quoted last week in another local paper saying,” our goal is to issue a license within 90 days of receiving the application.” No one would disagree that goals are good. But goals are meaningless and just become more rhetoric unless they can be achieved.

Martin is further quoted as saying the license application was filed in August of 2009. We find that interesting because the MLCC official website clearly states that the initial application was received by MLCC on June 3, 2009.

You do the math. From June 3, 2009 to February 18, 2010 is an appalling nine-and-a-half months from application receipt to license issuance. So much for 90 days!

At long last, all’s well that ends well, a new Rockford dining establishment can now serve a delicious ice-cold margarita or other libation with their fine Mexican cuisine.

The would like to thank their many readers who responded with letters of concern sent to elected government officials. Taking the time to write a letter and address an envelope speaks volumes to our elected leaders. You should all be very proud of yourselves.

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OPINIONS — January 21, 2010

January 21, 2010 · Filed Under Opinions · Comment 

Michigan a dysfunctional State of being

by CLIFF & NANCY HILL

What follows is another example of how Michigan—in spite of rhetoric from the governor’s office and the state legislature to reform the state—is still finding ways to not deliver services more efficiently and in a timely manner.

In 2008, the Michigan state legislature created a new type of on-premises liquor licenses, namely Redevelopment Project Area and Development District or Area Liquor Licenses. Rockford’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is one such qualified district or area. The legislation stipulates the availability of one new liquor license within the redevelopment project area for every $200,000 of public and private investment in real and personal property over a preceding five-year period. Rockford’s DDA has met and exceeded that financial hurdle—in spades—qualifying for a goodly number of the new class of liquor licenses.

This is all well and good. It was hoped that the new licenses would enhance the quality of life for a city’s residents along with visitors to their community. More importantly, it is felt by many that the new licenses would stimulate economic growth, create jobs and encourage the opening of new businesses.

Now here’s the rub. In the spring of 2009, the owner of the newly rebuilt and vacant downtown Rockford storefront at 123 E. Courtland Street secured a tenant, the Mexican cuisine restaurant Cinco de Mayo. Acquiring one of the new liquor licenses was critical to the venture’s future financial success.

Achieving unanimous Rockford City Council approval for license application to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC), the principals moved forward and initiated the application process on June 3, 2009. At the same time, they commenced with the extremely expensive build-out of the restaurant’s interior. They were aiming for a Harvest Festival 2009 grand opening date and hopeful their new liquor license would be in hand at the same time.

Were they ever wrong. Still without a liquor license on October 5, 2009, Cinco de Mayo opened their doors for business, promising in advertisements in the local newspapers a “full bar coming soon.”

To this day, almost eight months after they initially made application to the MLCC, Cinco de Mayo has yet to receive their liquor license and no one at the state level can tell them when their application may be approved.

All of this is in spite of the fact that the MLCC is in possession of all pertinent required documents: the initial application of June 3, 2009, police investigative background reports at both the state and local level, and most importantly the required upfront $22,600 license fee.

Cinco de Mayo has complied with and met all the requirements of the licensing procedure, and currently approval by the MLCC has been pending for more than two months.

“This is a prime example of why Michigan is in the sorry mess it finds itself. To entice a new business to open, or an established one to improve, take their license fee money upfront and then stonewall the application process is horrible,” said Rockford City Manager Michael Young during January’s City Council meeting.

We couldn’t agree more. Part of the intent of the new class of licenses was to encourage entrepreneurs to open new businesses. To place a license applicant in limbo for months and sometimes years (as was the case with Rockford’s Grill One Eleven) is contrary to the spirit of the legislation and borders on negligent.

It seems the MLCC, an agency within the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, operates autonomously and meets irregularly, at their pleasure, to grant final approval to a license application.

We would urge the MLCC to work out a systematic process to receive, process, investigate, and grant new liquor license applications “in a timely manner.” Furthermore, we would encourage the MLCC to convene and do the right thing by approving and granting the long-sought license to (a possibly struggling) Cinco de Mayo and, for that matter, other applicants finding themselves in the same situation in these hard economic times.

Personal feelings about alcohol consumption aside, readers who share our outrage at the injustice being perpetrated by the MLCC on Cinco de Mayo, and most certainly others, are encouraged to clip out this column and mail it to the governor’s office at Gov. Jennifer Granholm, PO Box 30013, Lansing, MI 48909, and to the offices of State Senator Mark Jensen, PO Box 30036, Lansing, MI 48909, and State Representative Tom Pierce at N-1092 House Office Building, PO Box 30014, Lansing MI 48933.

Yes, receipt of good old-fashioned U.S. Mail speaks louder to politicians than phone calls or e-mails.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Share your opinion on a topic that interests you. The Rockford Squire invites readers to submit their opinion pieces for our consideration to print as space allows. We suggest limiting opinions to 300-500 words, with or without photos. Opinions may be dropped off in person or mailed to 331 Northland Dr., Rockford, MI 49341, or e-mailed to squiremail@aol.com. Please be sure to include your full name and telephone number. The Rockford Squire reserves the right to edit or reject any opinion pieces.

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