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Bro. Greg Herndon, pastor of Troy Baptist Church and moderator of the Pontotoc County Baptist Association, started the meeting by holding up a bold-lettered sign proclaiming "NO BEER IN PONTOTOC."
"What do y'all think about that?" he asked, stirring a response of applause and cheers.
The meeting was a response to a current petition drive to gather some 3,400 certified voter signatures, which would compel the Board of Supervisors to call an election on whether to legalize beer and light wine.
In the one-hour meeting, people expressed frustrations, fears and faith. Several people suggested legal maneuvers - most not provided for within the law - from a counterpetition against having any such election to setting a deadline for petitioners to collect the signatures.
Jimmy Russell asked whether petitioners could be made to pay for the $35,000 to $40,000 that Circuit Clerk Tracy Robinson estimated a special election would cost. Informed that the law does not provide for such a requirement, he sighed, "I wish we could. I believe it would stop some signers." (Robinson noted, however, that adding the measure to an existing ballot - next August's primaries, for instance - would instead cost $500 to $750.)
One woman based her opposition to alcohol on her up-close witnessing of its worst effects.
"If they'd lived in my family when I was a child, they wouldn't want it," she said.
Bro. Doug Jones, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Pontotoc, was confident that beer could be defeated at the poll, as it was in 1974.
"The last time we beat it two to one, but we didn't have a meeting like this," he said. "This time we ought to beat it five to one."
The group elected Herndon its chairman, Jones vice-chairman, retired school principal Phyllis High as secretary and Bro. Ken Hester, pastor of Pontotoc's First Baptist Church, as treasurer. The officers were authorized to choose a name for the group and to appoint committees to lead prayer, publicity, telephone campaigning, election-day transportation, finance and youth involvement, respectively.
Herndon said the group would have to pace itself for a marathon rather than a sprint.
"One thing we don't want to do is to spend a whole lot of money right now knowing the fight may be put off for a few months," he warned. "We're going to try to be careful and try to be good stewards and not get ahead of ourselves."
Contact reporter Errol Castens at (662) 281-1069 or errol.castens@djournal.com.
We all want a better way of life for all the people of Pontotoc County but what about our Children and our Children's Children?
Will they look back,on history,and say our forefathers and Mothers worked as hard as they could to bring in prosperity for all of us.
They are our future everything!
What will they say about us?
When you go and vote no one will know how you voted or for whom;that is a great deal of power.
YOU have the POWER to say how you want things ran with the push of a button.
If you don't like it you can change it with another push of a button.
That is the POWER and VOICE of Pontotoc Countians.
When the alcohol vote comes consider all the options and if you feel in your heart it is right cast your vote and push the button.
The same goes when we vote for the people who run our County,State,and Country.
We have to stay united and not let anything to deter us from our mission to make Pontotoc County the best in the world.
This is our County we ALL are the boss not the politicians,as some feel,we do NOT work for them they work for us and should work for us to bring economic security to all the PEOPLE of Pontotoc County.
This is OUR COUNTY and WE,YOU & I,have the say if we want alcohol voted in and who we place in office,this is pure fact.
So when you go and vote weigh all the facts;vote your heart and keep in mind you have the power to make changes in how Pontotoc County is ran.
CHANGE IS ONLY A VOTE and A PUSH OF A BUTTON AWAY and that power is the greatest on the face of this earth.
"UNITED AS ONE-PONTOTOC COUNTIAN."
You may not agree with everything I have to say but I learned a long time ago people have their opinions and whether I agree or not with you;your opinion is as great or greater than mine.
I am only one vote out of thousands!
This is another fact to pass anything or vote someone in or out of office all you need is 50% 1 vote and it is law.
That is the power of the people.
When election time comes all YOU have to do is go and vote,pretty simple.
UNITED PONTOTOC COUNTY
We will have Sunday sales if alcohol is voted in.
People look at the big picture except just thinking we can drink in Pontotoc County.
This will NOT help Pontotoc County not one bit but it will help the people who want to drink.
As I have said I am forced to vote NO unless someone can change my mind on how it will help us.
Prove by evidence that this will help Pontotoc County.
I'm waiting sell it to me.
Debate what?
andymercer It is amazing you have wrote 2 articles and neither have made any points about alcohol sales or anything.
We should debate this and this is the place to do it and not where the public is involved.
You said pave roads we have not had not one road paved around Buchanan and can not get our road graded to remove the ruts so why mention paving roads.
We will get NO tax to pave roads so all the roads we are on now will be as bad or worse in the next year.
The past 8 years we have had our road(s) get worse and worse.
I have had to take my truck and my wifes car and fix the front end several times due to our road.
My Supervisor said " I WILL PAVE AS MANY ROADS AS I CAN. " what happened with that lie?
When or if we vote in alcohol and my road is still in the shape it is in now do I have the right to complain?
We voted in alcohol.
I had to lay off 3 employees because I could not get a tax break but when everything in going to other countries,cheaper,I still have to sell my product at the same price or lose money.
We voted in alcohol so can I complain if things stay the same?
I just can not see any reason to vote in alcohol when nothing is going to change.
All our politicians ran last time on C H A N G E and N O T H I N G has CHANGED it has gotten worse and worse.
Now we are discussing alcohol and I just do not think our economy will support when we will have to make a lot of changes.{There is the change our politicians promised us.}
Our County leaders (Supervisor's) will vote in building codes and if you build a barn they WILL tell us how to build it.
Then comes codes to say how close to a church,school,or public building you can sell alcohol-that will also effect us.
If I add on to my building I will have to sprinkle my building it has already started in Pontotoc with Moore's.
Then to build a building you WILL have to go and buy a 100 or 200.00 permit and then get a final to open it,they will turn you down the first time to get another 200.00!
Our Supervisor's have wanted to adopt a building code for that past 8 years so now they can get it.
YOU say the only reason to vote in alcohol is the tax revenue we will get but what about everything else that goes along with it?
Taxes will go up but what's the difference when for the past 8 years it has gone up each year.
Garbage went up (2008)and will go up again.
You can see that our Supervisor's did not vote in tax increase or garbage increase until after the election.
This time they will not have an excuse they can blame it on alcohol and increase it each year.
We will have to hire more cops to handle the extra workload from alcohol.
Then we will have to adopt the 50/50 rule where you have to sell 50% alcohol and 50% food items to be a drinking establishments.
To you a tax increase might not hurt but it will hurt me and I may have to close my business.
I guess if I had to close I could open up a beer joint-according to people on this blog that is where the money is.
It is going to cause more problems that it will solve for a select few to drink and drive in Pontotoc County.
I just can not afford a tax increase or the extra expense of adding extra items if I add on.
If Pontotoc County is so broke,as my Supervisor told me a few weeks ago,how can we afford $45000.00 for an election.
That should raise our taxes sky high.
It's just NOT worth it for me to cut my throat worse than what it is now.
I just CAN NOT afford it.
If it is so prosperous why are there not a lot of beer joints in Lee County.
Tupelo,Shannon,Baldwyn,and all the other Cities have beer joints but not Lee County.
Maybe it is not worth all the problems since they do not get alcohol tax rebate money.
I am talking about beer joints and not convenience stores.
Maybe this does not bother you but it really bothers me being a small business owner.
This will probably be what closes the doors and puts me out of business for good.
And I did not think I'd ever say this but alcohol did it.
I have to vote NO on alcohol unless they change State law so maybe that is the change our politicians have ran on.
I want to save Pontotoc County and not run off businesses.
I have to vote "NO."
Get the people IE: Mr. Mathis and Rev Doug Jones to debate questions from the public.
Progress could have an article so the public can send it questions they want answered.
We also could have our County officials to explain what going to happen after alcohol is legalized IE: Circuit Clerk can explain the
law(s) and invite the public to attend.
Once the debate starts the public will have no input it will be between the debaters.
We could have a referee to oversee the debate.
The Pontotoc Progress then could do an article on the debate and report what went on during the debate for the one's who can not come and report the legal issues to this matter.
Invite TV9 to broadcast the debate so we all can view it.
Let's get all the information out to the public instead of views so we can be informed when we go and vote.
This is not the time to fuss and fight over something that might or might not help Pontotoc County when we have more problems than this.
I believe it will come to a vote but I believe in informing the public of interest that will effect them.
We need to stay UNITED as ONE and do the best we can to bring prosperity to Pontotoc County so our Childre's Children will look back on history and see we did all we could to bring them a better life.
Our Children are our future policy makers.
I am over 100% for anything that WILL bring prosperity to my County and to bring jobs back,Maintain our roads,Support our public services,HELP OUR SCHOOLS,LOWER TAXES,and to bring a better way of life for all the people of Pontotoc County.
Let's stay UNITED as ONE to support different views I have always believed that though you may disagree with me you have your point of view and YOUR point of view is AS important AS mine.
I am sure when Pontotoc County was formed that our past leaders had different Point of views that they worked through or we would not be Pontotoc Countians.
WE are ALL in this together and we WILL all come through this together the question will we stay united.
Let's show the world we can disagree to agree that we are one in a cause to make Pontotoc County the best it can be.
" UNITED WE STAND-DEVIDED WE FALL! "
NO I did not make this up I read it somplace.
Instead of signs saying NO BEER or FOR BEER we need signs that say I am a Pontotoc Countian-UNITED UNDER ONE CAUSE......
My 2 cents worth. ( Actually about a penny I figure due to the falling dollar.)
NO I buy my gas from a local bulk plant that is delivered to my place of buisness.
We get sales tax from products,services and good
but only Municipal Government gets alcohol rebates.
Most people who are on this site and want alcohol legalized are looking at one item that alchol will be legalized nothing else.
Tupelo was a nice little City before alcohol and now they are overrun with all types of activity.
Most are not good.
If you look at different websites you will see that alcohol brings in a LOT of different activity and most of them are not good.
Tupelo has over 100 Police Officers and the Mayor has said "IT'S NOT ENOUGH."
Did alcohol cause the problems or was it alreday meant to happen?
Check out all the medical calls,only,and compare those with Pontotoc.
If I am not wrong I believe that the City and County have medical people on their Fire Dept's because the calls are so numerous.
"IF" alcohol is voted in it will stand for 5 years and then it can be voted on again except native alcohol that will never go off or out.
We can keep selling native alcohol tho it is against the law to sell inported alcohol.
Check with the Circuit clerk and ask her how much rebate money Pontotoc County will get if alcohol is voted in.
Once wet always wet so if things are not what you thought we will have to live with it for a long time.
I am NOT against selling alcohol I am against all the other things we will have to go through.
If one of your loved one's are killed or injured by any means are YOU willing to accept that we had a chance to save a life OR are you looking at the picture we will legalize alcohol in Pontotoc County.
Yes drinking is going on but most will not drink and drive because it is a dry County and it is against the law to posses,transport,sell,resale,or drink in Pontotoc County.
Seen any beer trucks on our highways lately?
It is against the law to transport it through Pontotoc though they could get a special permit to transport the permit si so high they just do not fool with it.
It is chaeper to not transport it through Pontotoc County.
Just remember if it is voted in and things get a lot worse than it is now and it will; just remember we had a chance to vote it down in 2010.
It's all our choice I am voting "NO" for the reason that It will not bring any good to Pontotoc County.
I don't understand how our county will not make any money in this. When a product is sold in Pontotoc, does Pontotoc not see any money from the the taxation of their product?
I don't understand how this would cause a greater need for more police presence. The drunk and disorderlies were already in Pontotoc. There isn't going to be a migration of idiots or anything like that.
Also, didn't you say that you purchased your beer at the county line? Do you also purchase gas in Lee county while at the same store? Usually people like to purchase many goods from one location, as opposed to multiple products from multiple counties.
Many more sales than just alchohol are going over the county line because of Pontotoc Prohibition.
Are YOU willing to "FOOT" the bill when it cost us to legalize alcohol in Pontotoc County?
Are will "YOU" be the first to complain when everything goes up?
It seems to me that "YOU" have not looked at what could happen in the future,or have you and just don't care?
We would NOT have to foot the bill for lights,a/c,etc if someone had not forced a petition on all the people who do not want legalized alcohol sales.
Why legalize something that people are alreday doing-ANSWER THAT!
I do not want a liquor store next to my house or next to my Children's achool-are you for it?
I do not want Sunday sales but it is coming.
You are looking at one side that Pontotoc is going to get a lot of sales tax from alcohol and it is not.
I had not made up my mind about my vote on alcohol but after seeing your post my vote changed to no.
I am not against progress but I am against anything that effects my way of life.
I bet you are some of those who wanted prayer out of Schools in Pontotoc County?
We can not have any type of religion from scenes to prayer and now we are voting on alcohol to be legalized.
What's next legalized prostitution?
We are in the midst of a crisis lost jobs,homes forclosed,buisnesses shuttered,schools failed,and our health care is way too high especially for our elderly.
The past 4 years have been rough on a lot of our People but we have been through this together.
We have lost loved one's in two wars but we came through it together.
We lost loved one's in a tornado but we all came through it together to cut trees,rebuild home &lives and to rememmber how precious lives are.
We are the people who took in a stranger after Hurricane Katrina and still work to help as of today,the selflessness of co-workers who will cut their hours so others will not lose their jobs,it is the Firefighters courage whom storm a smoke filled stairway,a Law Enforcement officer who risk their lives to save ours but also a parents willingness to nuture a child.
We came through it together.
We ARE the Firefighters,Law Enforcement Officers,Furniture makers,Garbage Collectors,Teachers,Buisness Owners,Ditch Diggers,Meter Readers,hopefully Auto Makers,Policy Makers,Farmers,Judges,Lawyers,County Employees,City Employees,Houswives,Students and all the other great occupations that make up Pontotoc County.
We are not known for what we destroy but what we build and have been since 1836.
We ARE the people of Pontotoc County and we will come through this together once again.
No matter where I go I am so proud and in my own way I get to brag that I am from PONTOTOC COUNTY.
When people from other Counties or States are behind me they read "PONTOTOC" and they now know I AM FROM "PONTOTOC COUNTY MISSISSIPPI!"
This is the time to feed hungry minds to let people know we are united in 1 cause to make Pontotoc County the best for the people whom we live with;We are Pontotoc Countians all of us.
This is the price and promise of being a Pontotoc Countian.
Let it be said by our Children's Children when we was tested we did not turn back or faulter;
with our eye's fixed on the horizon and God's grace on us that we carried on,for future generations,and worked together to make Pontotoc County better and greater for them.
We are ALL Pontotoc Countians and we will come through this together no matter how you vote.
Let's stand UNITED in one cause that we are working to make our chosen County the best it has ever been and our Children's Children can say,when they look back on history,that we stood together to make Pontotoc County the only place to live,work,play and grow.
I THANK GOD everyday I live in the greatest County in the world and I am PROUD that I am a PONTOTOC COUNTIAN!!
Thank you and may God bless Proverbs 3:5-6
That is how I came up with it.
There is a tax placed on Retailers $30.00-Wholesellers $100.00-Warehouse $1000.00-Tax for planes/boats/car IE; Limmo service that serve liquor $30.00-but any tax can not be less than $10.00.
Ms. State law
I am NOT against alcohol sales,per say,I am against the reasoning from certain people.
A lot of people are selling to the public we can pave a lot of roads with the sales tax we get from alcohol and we can't.
Also my MAIN point is that we are not in 2011 yet and if we got enough signatures the special election will be held about Feb or March $45000.00 but if the petioner waited untill June 2011 we will only pay $500-$700 for the election.
Don't try to find fault but facts.
It will be a lot CHEAPER if we waited untill June 2011 to present the petition to the Supervisor's so we can have an August,2011 election.
By law they will have to place it on the August,2011 ballot.
90 days from now is around 1 Jan, 2011 and it WILL cost us $45000.00 and then our taxes will go up and again we are going to get $000.00 in taxes from alcohol sales.
My main point is,since you missed it,we will get $000.00 in tax revenue from alcohol sales.
Let me repeat we are going to get " $000.00 " taxes from alcohol sales.
My taxes WILL go up so we can legalize alcohol sales when according to people,like you,we are the wettest dry County in Mississippi.
My "MAIN" point is "IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT!"
If enough people sign it they( THE SUPERVISOR'S) have a certain length of time to put it to a vote.
If you wanted it on the August 2 ballot YOU should have started the petition in 2011.
Now we can not wait till August less than a year away.
We footed the bill for lights,hvac,and etc because someone wanted to legalize liquor.
I am looking at the BIG PICTURE since EX: Lee County,Union County and "etc". they all have evrything I have said higher taxes,building codes and "etc".
If liquor is legalized and everything that I said comes true will you be the first person to complain or will you be the coward and sit back and keep your mouth shut.
Since petitioner(s) have waited this long what is a year ERRR against the law that what's the problem.
If we get enough signature's by December it can not be placed on the August 2,2011 ballot then it will cost $45000.00 to put it to a vote.
And I would like to repeat we "ARE" going to get $000.00 in tax from alcohol sales but we ALL will have to pay the price.
People like YOU just do not undestand or just do not care that it will cost us and in return for people to legally drink,something people do everyday anyway,we are going to get $000.00 tax revenue from alcohol sales.
I drink beer daily,everyday,but I can not see why "I" must pay more in taxes and in return get back $000.00 in taxes from alcohol when on my way home I can stop and buy my beer.
I would like to buy my beer in Pontotoc County if we got any revenue from alcohol but we are going to get $000.00 back from the State.
Wait and see if this passes and your taxes goes up,our roads are as sorry as they are now,our Schools (North & South) are still struggling,and everything starts going up and it comes out in the Progress that we got $000.00 in tax revenue from alcohol for a few people to drink,legally,in Pontotoc.
My main point is if we are the wettest dry County in the State of Mississippi [As some has said]does it need fixing?
" IF IT AIN'T BROKEN-DON'T FIX IT! " is my point!
Oh yes I am a beer drinker and I am against the petition unless you can prove,to me,how it will benefit me to vote for alcohol sales as of today I see NONE!
When you go and vote remember we will get $000.00 back in taxes from alcohol sales.
First it will cost the County $45,000.00 to place it on the ballot and we do not have enough Law Enforcement so we will have to hire more Deputies to handle all the complaints.
Dry County you can be arrested for possession,transporting,selling,consuming that is one reason you do not see beer trucks going through Pontotoc County.
So far this has cost US about $55000.00 to get $000.00 back in taxes.
The Circuit Clerk will have to go and tell the County we need $40,000.00 out of OUR budget to put alcohol on the ballot and we already have some of the worse roads in North Mississippi;
for the County to get back $000.00 in taxes.
So far we have lost $55000.00 and OUR County roads not to say this will raise OUR taxes in the future for us to reap $000.00 in benefits.
We will have to hire more Deputies to handle the extra work loads and I am sure Sheriff Davis was forced to cut his budget so that is more money out of OUR budget to get back $000.00.
We will have to upgrade our Justice Court to handle all the arrest from alcohol to get back $000.00 in taxes.
We will have to generate $5.5 million in sales to get back what we spent on just placing it on the ballot for us to get back $000.00 in those taxes.
People have said we can pave County roads with the taxes so explain how we can pave roads with $000.00?
I have heard from one person with the petition "you can drink at Trace Lake since it will be in a wet County."
WRONG it will still be dry since it is a State Park.
As of today I see no reason for me to vote to legalize alcohol since some people have said it is the wettest County in the State.
I see no reason to fix anything that's not broken.
If people are already drinking in Pontotoc County and it is not costing me anything I am for this plan.
So I can NOT vote on anything that is going to cost US more money that will not benefit all the people of Pontotoc County.
Please send comments to CHANGE my mind and I will consider it when I vote-Show me how we will benefit from alcohol in Pontotoc County.
As I see it it is going to cost US more money,money we do not have,to legalize something people are already doing.
Remember Pontotoc County is going to get back $000.00 in taxes from alcohol sales.
Invite another baptist over!
Rim shot!!!
I'll be here all week!!
Tip your waitresses!!