PLATFORM : Stop Exploitation

The laws have to be changed so that there is a reduction in the number of existing liquor stores and a drop in the rate at which new stores are opened. Something must be done because people are being exploited economically and psychologically. The presence of so many liquor stores is one of many factors creating a substance-abuse problem in our neighborhoods. People are exploited psychologically because they become emotionally dependent before they become physically dependent on liquor.

Some stores exploit people economically by selling liquor on credit. In some cases, people have no idea how much they owe and they are in perpetual debt to the store.

We are not anti-business; we’re pro-business. The large number of liquor stores in South Los Angeles is just a symptom of the lack of economic development caused by red-lining. We want to see Los Angeles rebuild by establishing a more diverse commercial base in South Los Angeles.