100+ People Arrested at downtown Club for underage drinking

[JimSawhill]

Are you a spy for the Bush administration?

[JimSawhill]

This is a good time to point out that I am a registered Republican and I believe in less government. I am not advocating communism. But the truth of the matter is that our current state of affairs is a product not of the free market or choice but of corruption and corporate welfare. I've said it before; we have manipulated the free market out of existence.

If one were truly for a free market, then he would advocate stopping subsidizing oil. If you consider the soft costs of oil plus corporate subsidies (road building / auto manufacturer bailouts, etc.) the price of gas would be $9.00 a gallon. It sounds good when you're sitting in your raised ranch on an acre in the burbs to hear your local rep lambaste state aid to cities, but nobody ever talks about the fact that those who can't afford to drive subsidize those who can. These figures are from Suburban Nation and it's a very eye-opening book. I recommend it.

[Whaler0718]

Whaler0718:

I heard that for every $1 dollar the pool pays in taxes -- they get a return of $8.41, while the rich gets 41 Cents for every dollar they pay. Now, what we need to do is to create a new way of generating taxes. I'd like to see a flat rate sales take of 25% on everything.

I'd love to see us stop subsidizing everything - including farmers who get paid for NOT GROWING CROPS!! One 'farmer' who gets subsidized is a NBA player. We also have farmers who gets subsidized for growing crops. Isn't that the job of the farmer -- to grow crops?

JimS

[mikel]

Moderators:

Please MAKE it stop! I CANNOT believe I AM the ONE who gets banned AROUND here.

MikeL

[drc72]

Moderators:

Please MAKE it stop! I CANNOT believe I AM the ONE who gets banned AROUND here.

MikeL

[beerbeer]

So called "Corporate Welfare" is in truth an investment. Corporations who receive tax breaks usually produce MORE taxes in the long term than they would have without the tax break. They also provide jobs which in term provides even more tax revenues for governments enlightened enough to understand the concept of economic growth.

Real warfare payments to the poor produce no such ROI.

Corporate Welfare is a catchy buzzword. But it is inaccurate and misleading.

[JayHass]

yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, regarding absolutely everything. Are you five years old?

^Exactly

[Lowerdeck]

Wow, did this topic get out of hand in a hurry.

Whether or not Europe or the US is better than the other is trivial. There are good and bad things about both, and it's all a matter of preference.

As for our underage drinking problem here in Connecticut, it is a major problem here even more than other parts of the country. Apparently Fairfield County teens are proud of being part of the highest percentage of substance abusers in the country. I've heard stories of kids getting trashed at like 12, 13, 14 years old. There's a new state law which cracks down on house parties and loopholes associated with them. And then we get bars and nightclubs which lure in 18-20 year olds and give them drinks anyway, or ignore fake ID issues.

There was a nightclub in Danbury, now shut down due to liquor violations, which gave me a 21+ wristband ... when I was 20 ... after showing them my real drivers license. (I wouldn't even buy a drink that night, I was too paranoid about raids.) There's been plenty of bars in town which don't even card, just desperate to draw in crowds over other bars.

Now granted, I started this thing when I was 19. Over the last two years of my life, I been far more responsible than most others my age around me. Most of my friends on a given drink night go at least 2-3x harder than I do, which is just really really bad for our society. I know people with DUIs, I know people who should have DUIs and haven't got caught yet. I've got friends who are proud of being good drivers drunk. These sort of things need to be addressed seriously as a part of our culture. And any of these lame public service attempts are failing, more like encouraging, the problem.

[Luca Brasi]

Let me start by saying that no one is more intolerant of crime and a supporter of the police than I am. However, the Hartford police department is one of the most corrupt and incompetent departments in the northeast. In law enforcement, they are considered one of the worst.

This situation was handled completely wrong. Many under 21 were not drinking, were downstairs where they were supposed to be, yet arrested anyway and had to spend the night in jail. A complete screw up by the HPD. These kids were at an under 21 party NOT breaking the law.

You can't get an officer to show up for a car break in downtown, but you can tie up the entire department to arrest 100 kids, most of whom weren't even breaking the law.

[drc72]

Let me start by saying that no one is more intolerant of crime and a supporter of the police than I am. However, the Hartford police department is one of the most corrupt and incompetent departments in the northeast. In law enforcement, they are considered one of the worst.

This situation was handled completely wrong. Many under 21 were not drinking, were downstairs where they were supposed to be, yet arrested anyway and had to spend the night in jail. A complete screw up by the HPD. These kids were at an under 21 party NOT breaking the law.

You can't get an officer to show up for a car break in downtown, but you can tie up the entire department to arrest 100 kids, most of whom weren't even breaking the law.

[Lowerdeck]

This situation was handled completely wrong. Many under 21 were not drinking, were downstairs where they were supposed to be, yet arrested anyway and had to spend the night in jail. A complete screw up by the HPD. These kids were at an under 21 party NOT breaking the law.

[paul514]

Whaler0718:

Why would I want to live in Europe? The only thing better there is beautiful Italian marble. If you are a businessperson in Europe you are up against some of the HIGHEST TAXES in the world. Sorry, as much as I love Italian Marble, I'll stay in the USA -- it isn't perfect, but it isn't a socialist state.

JimS

[Luca Brasi]

hahahahahahaha

If they are there at a bar, I guarantee you at least 80 of them were drinking. And 80 is being nice, it's more like 97. Nobody goes to nightclubs sober or with the intention of not drinking, especially in Connecticut.

[Lowerdeck]

You completely miss the point. The club was legally running an 18 and older night as approved by the liquor commission. Kids who were over 18 but not 21 were not breaking the law by being present in the downstairs of the club. Unless the police could PROVE that an individual was drinking and therefore breaking the law, they should not have been arrested.

[Luca Brasi]

Being 21 years old, and having spent plenty of times in the past few years in these 18 to enter 21 to drink things... the bars WANT the underage to consume. And with the severe alcohol problem in this state, the 18-20 year olds there are more than willing to drink. I'm not missing the point. I know it's perfectly legal. The fact of the matter is, most of those who were arrested probably deserved it. There would be no reason for the police to make that amount of arrests if they weren't drinking at all.

I'm betting that many of those arrested were using fake IDs or got passed the bouncers any way they could, posing as 21 or older with stamps or wristbands or whatever ... and they really weren't. Very very few 18-20 will go to establishments like that and willingly NOT (try to) drink.

Bars are more than willing to let people slide in underage and let them consume alcohol, because it's a huge money grab. Beers and drinks go for higher prices than at some average bar, simply because they are taking advantage of the clientele. And quite frankly, they screw with the legality of the whole thing. What's not to stop a bouncer from just giving a wristband to that cute little blonde girl who is 19 years old flirting with him in order to get in? What's not to stop a bouncer from just letting that cute little 19 year old anyway? Money is money.

The industry is (to use a young urban (perhaps New York area) expression) grimy. The alcohol laws seriously need reform.

[Lowerdeck]

The owners of the club will get their share of trouble for what happened, don't worry. They will lose their liquor license, get a stiff fine, and perhaps more.

[penetcostal_iglesia_faith]

Theologian people as in a degree from a Christian Univeristy in some form of divinity? Like the one I have that minored in Sociology to boot.

You need to distinguish between drink and drunk. Just because you have a drink of wine doesn't mean you are drunk or a drunkard. The Bible is very clear about being a drunkard and how it's not good. But wine is wine, it's fermented. The alcohol is what kills the bacteria you speak of!

The wine may not have had 15% alchohol but it was fermented alcoholic wine. That's why when Jesus performed his "first" miracle after they ran out of wine and turned the water into wine the host said (And I"m paraphrasing) "Some bring out the best wine first and after everyone is drunk they bring out the 'junk' - but YOU have saved the best wine for last!"

You see it today at keg parties. People start with a first keg of good beer and then crack the cheap keg after everyone is buzzed. lol Same in that passage.

Nor would they accuse Jesus of being a drunkard for drinking grape juice!

Jesus would not ban drinking or he would not have made wine for the wedding celebration!

Just something to think about.

[blink55184]

Being 21 years old, and having spent plenty of times in the past few years in these 18 to enter 21 to drink things... the bars WANT the underage to consume. And with the severe alcohol problem in this state, the 18-20 year olds there are more than willing to drink. I'm not missing the point. I know it's perfectly legal. The fact of the matter is, most of those who were arrested probably deserved it. There would be no reason for the police to make that amount of arrests if they weren't drinking at all.

I'm betting that many of those arrested were using fake IDs or got passed the bouncers any way they could, posing as 21 or older with stamps or wristbands or whatever ... and they really weren't. Very very few 18-20 will go to establishments like that and willingly NOT (try to) drink.

Bars are more than willing to let people slide in underage and let them consume alcohol, because it's a huge money grab. Beers and drinks go for higher prices than at some average bar, simply because they are taking advantage of the clientele. And quite frankly, they screw with the legality of the whole thing. What's not to stop a bouncer from just giving a wristband to that cute little blonde girl who is 19 years old flirting with him in order to get in? What's not to stop a bouncer from just letting that cute little 19 year old anyway? Money is money.

The industry is (to use a young urban (perhaps New York area) expression) grimy. The alcohol laws seriously need reform.

[Lowerdeck]

good work, you have figured out what happens at a bar! freshly 21? congrats!!

Bars do NOT want underage to drink. The penalties are not worth it.

Their insurance and liabilities are high enough, that is the reason my family friends sold a bar in Hartford they owned.