Yesterday, four candidates for Salt Lake City mayor — Ralph Becker, Dave Buhler, Keith Christensen, and Jenny Wilson — answered questions submitted via YouTube in a 30-minute session coordinated by The Salt Lake Tribune and KUTV, the CBS affiliate at Channel 2 in the city. One question piqued my interest. In a one-minute submission prepared in animated form, a citizen with the screen name “Alienated Wannabe” asked the following. I believe it worthy to quote in full for understanding its underlying context:

In discussing how to revitalize downtown, more than one candidate has emphasized the need to encourage more nightlife. I believe that this is a mistaken approach. I am convinced that in order to revitalize our capitol [sic] city we need to encourage a more family friendly environment, not just to play, but to live. In my opinion, the true energy of a community comes from real people living in the city, engaged in real everyday activities, not primarily from strangers who occasionally drive in to get drunk and chase tail. As mayor, what will you do to help make downtown Salt Lake City desirably affordable and livable for families?

Fortunately, all four candidates handled themselves well on this question, clearly skirting the obvious loaded context, the vague sweeping generalizations, and the rather shortsighted vision of a city which would be exclusionary in its offerings. For those looking to comprehend the full context of the question, I would suggest visiting here.

The bottom-line summary from the candidates was that the state should expand the number of liquor licenses for bars and restaurants. And, one candidate (Becker) added that Utah’s liquor laws and ordinances need to be overhauled, suggesting a free marketplace would enhance the state’s rapidly growing liquor industry now strictly controlled by state government.

Just a few days ago, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the state was down to its last 20 licenses, a quota-based system which grants one license for every 11,000 in state population. That means 244 licenses. And, recently, the state has been granting more licenses than what the population quotas now allow.

Commissioners for the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control have been urged to ask the Utah Legislature, which convenes for 45 days in January, to revamp the quota system. However, any changes would likely take several months to implement – the type of bottleneck which could dampen momentum for new restaurants and clubs being considered for the state.

Teetotalers as well as wine, beer, and spirits connoisseurs and aficionados really can co-exist peacefully, to the mutual benefit of the state economy. Certainly, the state coffers are benefiting handsomely from the sale of alcohol. In the 2006 fiscal year, net profits were more than $47.3 million, up more than 24 percent from the previous year. At least 17 other states control liquor sales and research tends to show that per capita consumption of alcohol will be lower in those states than those which permit free market demand to dictate supply.

As an earlier post on a different topic suggested, we should act wisely not to allow personal, emotional, and visceral beliefs or emotionally charged socio-cultural panic (e.g. “strangers who occasionally drive in to get drunk and chase tail”) to dictate decisions that would limit our unprecedented growth. I believe we can act and evolve responsibly and maturely meanwhile ensuring we have a well educated, employed, economically thriving populace without giving up those aspects which made Utah exceptional in the first place.