Voters Face 28 Initiatives in November

The liquor lobby is drunk with power. First, it bullies and bribes our spineless state legislators to place its own anemic version of an alcohol tax on the ballot (Prop. 126). Whereas Prop. 134 was qualified the old-fashioned way, by gathering the signatures of more than 1,169,000 registered California voters.

Then it dips into its $20-million war chest to finance a media campaign of outright lies and distortions. Prop. 134 will take funding from senior services? Give me a break! And now, like some barroom brawlers who realize they’re still losing the fight, the liquor lobby resorts to some real sucker punches. Frightened that the truth about Prop. 134 will prevail, it threatens to withdraw its megabuck advertising from any media source that dares provide Prop. 134 supporters the fair chance to present the facts.

It’s time for the booze barons to sober up and smell the coffee. The Nickel-A-Drink Initiative would generate desperately needed revenues that would be specifically designated for anti-drug and anti-drunk driving enforcement, emergency care, community mental-health programs and for innocent victims of alcohol abuse.

WAYNE MUNCHEL

Anaheim