The Politics Meister

On Wednesday I received word about Maryland Senate Bill 488 that will essentially stop anyone who is under 21 from coming into a bar/club in Baltimore that has entertainment. You can view specifics about the bill here and here.

If this destructive and useless bill is passed it will end up shutting down numerous popular entertainment venues in Baltimore like Sonar and the Ottobar. Establishments with BD-7 liquor licenses that have entertainment in them make a significant amount of money from all ages shows and allowing 18-year-olds and older into events.  Our leaders should be looking for ways to increase tax revenue in Baltimore rather than decreasing it. Venues pay all sorts of taxes on admission fees that would disappear if under 21-year-old people were banned from clubs. Of course mega-clubs with arena liquor licenses and big time political donors would be excluded from this law! They would be allowed to continue to have under 21-year-olds at their (very few) venues. I guess Casino Cordish and the Powerplant live crew are too big to fail and need to have the smaller competition destroyed by the politicians they donate so much money to.

There is no major jurisdiction in the United States that bans under 21 year-old people from clubs like the ones that will be destroyed by this bill. Promoters will avoid Baltimore like the plague if this bill becomes a law. The bill is a disgrace to Baltimore and an embarrassment to common sense and fiscal responsibility. Baltimore is an incredible and unique entertainment hub made up of SMALL BUSINESSES that our leaders seem to want to punish and put out of business. These crooks in the Maryland Senate should be expanding drinking hours in Baltimore so more money can be made off of tourists and so more young people flock to our city and spend money here. Our leader are clueless old farts who are owned by developers and establishment members who rarely set foot in Baltimore.

If this bill passes then I will be truly ashamed to be a citizen of the state of Maryland. I hope common economic sense prevails. To help solve this situation please spread the word about the hearing on this bill that takes place on Friday at 1PM in Annapolis. Make sure you and your friends email all of the following state senators who proposed this embarrassment and tell them how you feel:

bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us
joan.carter.conway@senate.state.md.us
catherine.pugh@senate.state.md.us
verna.jones@senate.state.md.us
nathaniel.mcfadden@senate.state.md.us

It is important to point out that one of the sponsors of this bill (Catherine Pugh) wants to be Mayor of Baltimore! Not the best way to get young people on your side.

I can not stress how serious a situation this is. Here are some emails  that discusses some of the ramifications of this flawed bill.:

“My name is ——– and I am a resident of Howard County, MD. I have worked in the service industry for over ten years and currently work as a bartender at several Baltimore City bars. I recently became aware of Senate Bill 488 that you are in favor of passing this Friday, March 4th. I am writing to share a few reasons why I am opposed to the passing of this bill.

Reasons for Opposing Senate Bill 488:

In current economic times, business’ need to ensure employees remain employed to prevent working individuals from falling victim to consumer debt and foreclosures. We all know how important it is to sustain job growth to stimulate today’s economy. If Senate Bill 488 is passed the effects could cause an increase in the unemployment rate and need for public assistance among Baltimore city service industry professionals.

Over the last three years, many working professionals have been laid off and have assumed service and bartending positions to produce supplemental income in the interim. If Senate Bill 488 is passed, many people will lose jobs and struggle to provide for themselves and their families without much notice.

In the United States, an 18-year old is granted the privilege of driving a car, opening up a bank/credit card account, and even voting for the President of the United States. If your bill is passed, you are openly admitting adults don’t have the decision making ability to select safe venues to spend time with friends and families. I find it unfair and insulting to the young adult community, that you would propose a notion to dictate how and where an 18-year old (which is considered to be a legal adult) should spend their time and money.

It is evident that you believe you will prevent adults under 21, from being exposed to alcohol consumption or “dangerous” club environments by passing Senate Bill 488; however, there isn’t enough statistics that support this belief or guarantee that it will. Today’s millennials are ingenious, resourceful, and very determined. There isn’t a bill that can be passed that will deter this age group from seeking alternative options to commune with friends and attend live-music events. The only certainty I do know is that adults under 21 will make great strides to access entertainment/dance clubs at all costs; and may not prioritize the health and safety of themselves and others when making their decisions.

The proposed modifications to the security personnel regulations in your bill, also raise great concern amongst service industry professionals in Baltimore city clubs. If your bill passes it will require all security officers to be sworn in, which in turn will lower the security staff of many clubs. More and more clubs will not employ an adequate number of security staff and this will directly impact my safety; as a bartender and a patron.

Baltimore City police officers are prohibited to serve as security personnel in clubs and entertainment venues. Additionally, the only qualified individuals to serve as security personnel are employees of the Sherriff’s department or a private security company. Taking all of that into consideration and the past three years’ budget cuts (and presumably more on the way), there may be a shortage of resources to accommodate the security needs of Baltimore Club owners. If this section of the bill is passed, we will see many hallmark venues and clubs reduce hours of operation, or even worse close their doors permanently.

Please consider the concerns that I’ve detailed above before moving forward with your decision to pass Senate Bill 488.  Many of my friends, family members, colleagues, and industry partners will be adversely impacted if you pass this bill. I appreciate you taking the time to listen to my thoughts. My desire is to see the bill serve as a win-win for all parties. I hope that you can incorporate my concerns in the revision of Senate Bill 488 to increase safety of young adults without compromising the livelihood, safety and careers of Baltimore City service industry professionals. If you’d like further suggestions or recommendations for the revision of Senate Bill 488, please feel free to contact me…”

“Hello Gentlemen,

My name is ———, I am the co-owner and operator of the independent concert promoter ——–. We are a small, 9 employee operation, based out of the Baltimore Maryland area and responsible for promoting events across Maryland & DC, as well as 10 other markets around the United States.

I am writing you today in regards to Senate Bill 488 and the potential economic and social impact this will have across the city of Baltimore if it is allowed to pass. While my understanding of the bill is that it is set up for safety and the greater good of the community, I assure you the unforeseen/overlooked economic and social impact of this bill will lapse any benefits being considered.

On a macro level, the changes proposed will completely devastate the live/touring music industry which has just begun to catch up with the rest of the country. Having worked as a venue manager, buyer, talent agent, and independent concert promoter for over 10 years, as well as studying Financial Economics at University of Maryland Baltimore County, I fully understand the potential impact that these changes will have. For years Baltimore was looked over as a prime tour stop for international, national, and regional touring artists causing the city, state, and local businesses to lose out of millions of dollars in revenue each and every year. With the opening of Sonar, Bourbon Street, and Rams Head, as well as the involvement of Steez Promo, I.M.P., Walther Productions, and 24-7 Entertainment, we have seen huge growth in this sector, joined with healthy competition, and a growth in national interest within the industry which has helped smaller venues such as The Club Room & Talking Head @ Sonar, Metro Gallery, The Ottobar and The 8×10 get more national shows.

A change requiring many of these live music venues to be strictly 21+ will undoubtedly create a losing situation for these smaller venues, hurting the live music scene to both develop and sustain artists, and overall leave a bad taste in the mouth or artists and agents alike.

You also must consider that with DC right down the road, it will make the most sense for independent buyers such as myself to place their shows at venues there and in northern virginia where 18+ and all ages is an option rather than do 21+ in the Baltimore market, again causing both the state, city, and local business to lose out.

Additionally, having worked with the agency Circle Management for 3 years now, I can tell you there is not a single market in the country that I know of, other than Las Vegas, that requires live music venues to be 21+.

On a micro level, you must consider the effect these changes will have on your constituents and the business in your own community. It won’t just be the venues that suffer, it will be local eateries, hotels, and other sorts of commerce that benefit from the patrons of the aforementioned show and the money they spend locally when coming into a specific area for a specific event at a venue.

You also must consider the livelihood of those working at these venues, beyond the bartenders. The promotion & production staff, bar backs, security, etc that all either make a living or supplement their income off the revenue created by these patrons the state is now looking to keep out of these establishments.

In a time where the entire country is seeing economic hardship, as lawmakers you must consider your actions carefully in making sure you are not further propagating these hardships within your own land.

Furthermore, while these measures are meant to limit those under 21 from being exposed to alcohol, I can’t see how much effect it will have. With ads on TV’s, store fronts, billboards, magazines, as well as them being exposed to alcohol at family gatherings, weddings, sporting events, and pretty much everywhere else they turn, I can’t see how protecting them for such a small percentage of time will be a solution to any problem that you attempting to tackle.

I ask that you reconsider these measures and look at the issues that they will cause rather than the issues they will potentially prevent.

I would also like to make myself available to any and all delegates to both speak on the phone or speak in front of a committee on this matter.

Thanks”