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i <br />ATTORNEY SAM BLOCK APPEARED REPRESENTING THE RETAIL LIQUOR <br />i <br />ASSOCIATION AND INFORMED THE BOARD THAT THIS GROUP IS NOT A LEGAL <br />ENTITY; THE NAME IS USED BASICALLY FOR IDENTIFICATION AND CONVENIENCE. <br />HE EXPLAINED THAT THE RETAIL LIQUOR ASSOCIATION CONSISTS NOT ONLY OF <br />LOUNGES, BUT ALSO RESTAURANTS, HOTELS AND MOTELS WHICH HAVE ROOMS <br />WHERE LIQUOR IS SOLD, AND ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE 70 TO 80 OF THESE <br />ESTABLISHMENTS, MOST OF THEM IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF VERO BEACH AND <br />THE REMAINDER SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY., ATTORNEY BLOCK NOTED THAT <br />THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IS ONE OF THE MOST REGULATED BUSINESSES <br />IN THE STATE AND ALSO ONE OF THE MOST TAXED. HE POINTED OUT THE DIFFI- <br />CULTIES INVOLVED IN APPLYING FOR A LICENSE, WHICH REQUIRES STRINGENT <br />PROCEDURES AND THUS WEEDS OUT THE INCOMPETENT AND UNDESIRABLE IN THE <br />VERY BEGINNING. HE CONTINUED THAT THIS INDUSTRY IS LIMITED BOTH BY <br />HOURS AND BY THE AGE OF THE PATRON. ATTORNEY BLOCK POINTED OUT THAT <br />THE INDUSTRY DID NOT CHANGE THE LEGAL AGE FROM 21 TO I$. THIS WAS DONE <br />BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND IN FACT, MANY OF THE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS <br />OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS OPPOSED AND RESISTED THIS CHANGE. ATTORNEY <br />BLOCK STATED THAT THE DAYLIGHT SAVING HOURS AFFECT THIS INDUSTRY AD- <br />VERSELY AND LIMIT THEIR HOURS EVEN FURTHER, <br />ATTORNEY BLOCK INFORMED THE BOARD THAT THERE HAS BEEN CON- <br />SCIENTIOUS OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS IN THIS <br />COUNTY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND IT HAS BEEN A CLEAN INDUSTRY OF WHICH <br />WE CAN BE PROUD. HE POINTED OUT THERE ARE NO TOPLESS BARS OR SUCH <br />ESTABLISHMENTS. ATTORNEY BLOCK FURTHER NOTED THAT THESE OWNERS AND <br />OPERATORS PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY, CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNITED WAY, <br />AND EVEN HOLD A GOLF TOURNAMENT AND DONATE THE PROCEEDS FOR WORTHY <br />CAUSES. <br />ATTORNEY BLOCK THEN PRESENTED STATISTICS OBTAINED FROM AN <br />INFORMAL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE INDUSTRY AND INFORMED THE BOARD THAT <br />THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLY 50 ESTABLISHMENTS WITH APPROXIMATELY <br />800 EMPLOYEES, WHOSE GROSS WEEKLY WAGES ARE ROUGHLY $72,000. THESE <br />OWNERS AND OPERATORS PAY MONTHLY UTILITY BILLS AMOUNTING TO $53,500 <br />AND THE GROSS SALES TAX PER YEAR AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY 1.7 MILLION <br />DOLLARS. ATTORNEY BLOCK POINTED OUT THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE NO EXCEPTION <br />2 <br />Nov � � ��� ... • <br />Boa 32 pur 10' <br />