By Angela Woodall / MediaNews
April 14, 2007
There should be no more than 28 liquor stores in West Oakland under state law, yet there are 53.
Overall, Oakland has 65 more liquor stores than would be allowed if they tried to open today, city officials said Friday during a press conference to talk about proposed legislation that would give them another tool to fight problem stores.
"We're tired of having a liquor store on every corner in our flatland areas," said Linnie Cobb, a member of Association of the Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which has struggled to tackle the problem in Oakland, with little success.
That could change under a bill by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) that would allow cities to target liquor stores declared nuisances and either within 200 feet of a school or in areas saturated with liquor stores.
"This is a targeted bill to get at the worst offenders," Hancock said.
Although many of the city's 351 liquor stores provide valuable services to neighborhoods without supermarkets, others attract litter, loiterers, reckless drivers, drug deals and worse. In Oakland, officials have permanently shut down three stores and are shutting down four more, according to figures from the Neighborhood Law Corps - a team of recent law school graduates who signed on for two years of service to the city - which has spearheaded the city's effort. Hancock's bill would be another tool to beef up the city's ability to deal with problem stores, City Attorney John Russo said at the Friday press conference attended by Mayor Ron Dellums and community organizers. The proposed legislation is not scapegoating liquor stores, Russo insisted. Residents need them, especially in West and East Oakland because supermarkets "went screaming out of those areas," he added.
Even if officials make a case against a store, action could be denied if the city "doesn't prove its case," Russo said.
The bill was written after local ACORN members approached Hancock.
They decided to take action after trying to get liquor store owners in East Oakland to stop selling alcohol two hours before and after schools let out, Cobb said.
While some were supportive, most resisted, she said.
"They suggested we change the law and that's why we're here today," Cobb said at the press conference.
The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control controls liquor licenses in California.
Hancock said she expects a tough fight to get the bill passed because the state holds its power closely.
But, she added, "I think it's time to share."
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