I thought this had to be a joke, but it is not. The Corbin City Commission voted Monday night to ban Karaoke at restaurants. Is this 1920? What next? No dancing? Women's voting rights revoked? No Kissing in public? Citywide cerfew at 9pm? No singing in the shower?
Singing to music isn't the problem commissioners. If people are out drinking and driving, pull them over, arrest them and lock them up. The problem is that isn't happening.
Its not the Karaoke. People leave private parties, their own homes, out of town restaurants, out of town ball games, Comedy shows, Buckner's and El Dorado drunk and drive Corbin's streets, and they were not singing to Karaoke tapes while they got trashed.
If this is your antiquated answer, we have bigger problems as a city.
What an embarrassment. Leno or Letterman would have a field day with this news headline.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's security agency has ordered the shutdown of karaoke bars and Internet cafes, saying they are a threat to society, a South Korean newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Refugees from the reclusive state say such outlets are largely located in the northern region that borders China and are frequented by merchants involved in cross-border business rather than ordinary citizens.
The North's Ministry of People's Security said in a directive that all karaoke bars, video-screening rooms and Internet cafes operating without state authorization must shut immediately, the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said.
"It is so promulgated under the mandate of the Republic in order to crush enemy scheming and to squarely confront those who threaten the maintenance of the socialist system," the daily quoted the ministry directive as saying.
"Most of the people who would go to these places are people who made quite a bit of money, normally not officials or the average person," said Park Sang-hak, an activist for human rights in the North based in South Korea.
The people that you say are drinking and driving were probably trashed because they sat 4 hrs or more in a bar having drink after drink.
The people of Corbin voted in favor of an alcohol referendum in May 2002 to allow restaurants to serve alcohol with meals. As most everyone knows the food to alcohol ratio has to be at least 70/30. That is state law under this referendum. If the prople of Corbin want bars or package stores they need to put it on the ballot for a vote.
Some of the restaurants in Corbin have turned into nothing more than bars. Patrons sit and drink. Fights break out. People drive drunk. Some of the restaurants have abused the ordinance and I for one commend the mayor and commissioners on their action to address the problem. Just recently four were arrested for fighting at one of the restaurants on the Falls Road. How many fights break out at the Cracker Barrell? Probably none.
Restaurants make money by serving customers and then getting them out the door and ready for another. Other cities, London for example, had the advantage of watching their neighobrs and wrote these restrictions into their ordinance from the start. The city commission is doing the right thing.
Is it Karaoke, or is the real problem just sitting at the bar and the bars serving too much? Banning Karaoke won't keep these people from doing exactly what they are doing now. Instead of sitting listening to someone else singing Karaoke, they will sit and drink listening to background music (just like at the depot), a real singer, or watch a ballgame on a TV. What is the difference if they sit and watch a ballgame on TV and drink, or watch Karakoe and drink, throw darts and drink, or talk to friends and drink? These people set out on the night to drink. The Karaoke might entice them to choose one place over another, just like a big screen TV might - but they will have their night out anyway, Karaoke or not. Banning Karaoke won't rid you of the problem - you have to inforce the laws, make sure places aren't fudging on their ratio reports, and arrest people who are on the roads drunk.
I also know there were fights broken up long before Karaoke and alcohol were here.
Just like sunday sales, the High and Mighty Glorious Heaven Sent City Commissioners and Mayor have decided for us, the people, again without our voting for anything. There was nothing in the referendum about this, nor for sunday sales.
Voice your opinions to the commission, and wish them well after the next elections so they can spend ALL their time doing something else.
Strange how this was never reported on by the papers or anything.
When people go to restaurants that serve alcohol if they talk to each other there is a chance they will argue and fight. It could cause our divorce rate to go higher. I believe they should ban talking at the table. People should just drink, eat, pay for their meal, and leave. People should not have any right to talk about this kind of an issue and should just keep their mouth shut. I believe shaking hands could be another way people could get mad at each other at restaurants. There should be no touching. I hope the City COmmission will regulate all our conduct. Chief Mullins should be the Czar of all conduct.
I don't know if the Mayor and Commissioners were Heaven Sent or not, but I do know that they were elected by the voters of Corbin. The three incumbents Commissioners were 200 votes higher than the rest of the pack and there were plenty of boozers on the City Commission ballot to choose from. The voters of Corbin made their choice. The majority of the people approve of the way the Mayor and Commissioners are managing the City.
I would say if someone presented a working plan at the next meeting that the city leaders would consider it. They are only trying to protect the people of Corbin. Very few Corbin voters hang out at these bars. Probably 50 or less. How would you suggest that over serving laws be enforced? If the police do a walkthru then the restaurtants complain about it in the newspaper. Trying to run off their business, or something like that. If the police wait outside for the drinkers to come out then that is called profiling and is not legal. Is it safe for the public to just let the drinkers come out after four hours or so and drive off? Show up at a city meeting and make a suggestion or two if you have any. Don't just complain on this board. I know the mayor and each commissioner and I believe they would listen to reasonable solutions presented to them.
Why do our local officials want to get rid of karaoke? I've been down to O'Mally's a few times this summer and enjoyed the evening while listening to people sing(or attempting to) karaoke. I haven't seen anyone out of hand or causing problems. Everyone I saw was having a blast(including that dj....I think his name is Tony........He is a hoot!) Please let's not ruin a good thing for people who just like to have a good time. It makes the citizens seem like we are a bunch of children and our parents(the city) thinks we can't handle ourselves. Just refrain please, unless you can show me where the problems are with singing or dancing or pool for that matter! Geeeeeeezzzz
I think the ABC administrator was trying to get the restaurant owners attention so they will know that he is serious about over serving and other violations. Unless they want the police in their place of business every hour or so they will have to rise to the occasion and limit serving.
unfortunately, when you mix alcohol and people the people part of the equation begin to act stupiid. I am glad we have a commission that will stand up to the alcohol interests. God bless you.
unfortunately, when you mix alcohol and people the people part of the equation begin to act stupiid. I am glad we have a commission that will stand up to the alcohol interests. God bless you.
You do have a point - although I know quite a few people that act pretty stupid when they are sober also.
Banning Karoke is gonna stop folks from drinking to much??? What's next, banning the Air Guitar Contest or the Elvis impersanation? My goodness, the city is gonna have to think through this a little better than trying to legislate ist's way out of this one.
Once you have Alcohol sales folks are going to occasionaly drink to much, surely we can think of some better counter-measures than banning Karoke or Elvis impersonaters.
Is it Karaoke, or is the real problem just sitting at the bar and the bars serving too much? Banning Karaoke won't keep these people from doing exactly what they are doing now. Instead of sitting listening to someone else singing Karaoke, they will sit and drink listening to background music (just like at the depot), a real singer, or watch a ballgame on a TV. What is the difference if they sit and watch a ballgame on TV and drink, or watch Karaoke and drink, throw darts and drink, or talk to friends and drink? These people set out on the night to drink. The Karaoke might entice them to choose one place over another, just like a big screen TV might - but they will have their night out anyway, Karaoke or not. Banning Karaoke won't rid you of the problem - you have to inforce the laws, make sure places aren't fudging on their ratio reports, and arrest people who are on the roads drunk.
This post says it all - ban Karaoke, you might as well as ban watching a football game on the plasma TV, comedy shows, musicians, birthday and christmas parties - lets take it all the way to conversation. Guys, no speaking to women or buying them a drink - the commission we voted in frowns on it.
Its not the karaoke fellas. Start actually putting people in jail who are breaking legitimate laws, not harrassing the other 99.99% of the public that is responsible.
Well, I guess the Commission has been proven right and the Editor of the Time wrong again. Look what happens when you drink and sing. You get arrested.
You know......I read the article on the front page of the Times on Saturday and saw how London has no problem with establishments there because they don't have things like karaoke, pool tables, or dancing. There was also an earlier post that talked about how great London was because it kept those things away from the public. If my mind serves me right (and I know it does), wasn't it a London Mexican place that got girls drunk, would take them to a back room or a hotel and rape them? Yes, that did occur in London...hmmmmm. Maybe if people had some entertainment around here instead of making up other things to do things like that would be prevented. YA THINK? London can say all they want, I know better.
I think the majority of Corbin people want the city to keep the restaurants from becoming bars. If you want more than restaurants where you can get a drink with a meal then you should put it on the ballot. Probably too late for Nov but maybe could get a petition filed for the May 2008 election. Let the voters decide this one. As it stands ... bars are not legal in Corbin and the city has to keep the alcohol places from becoming more than they are allowed by state law to be.
I'm glad to see that Mayor McBurney and Cheif Mullins worked this out with the restaurant owners - my hat is off to these two as well as the restaurant owners. This is how the various boards and city business should be handled, through communication and discussion, not knee-jerk reaction.
The burden in now in the restaurant owner's hands, they have been told what is expected, and now they must hold up their end of the deal.
I thought this had to be a joke, but it is not. The Corbin City Commission voted Monday night to ban Karaoke at restaurants. Is this 1920? What next? No dancing? Women's voting rights revoked? No Kissing in public? Citywide cerfew at 9pm? No singing in the shower?
Singing to music isn't the problem commissioners. If people are out drinking and driving, pull them over, arrest them and lock them up. The problem is that isn't happening.
Its not the Karaoke. People leave private parties, their own homes, out of town restaurants, out of town ball games, Comedy shows, Buckner's and El Dorado drunk and drive Corbin's streets, and they were not singing to Karaoke tapes while they got trashed.
If this is your antiquated answer, we have bigger problems as a city.
This was my original post, and while I appreciate this message board in allowing me to post my opinions, I must also give credit where credit is due.
I think that with the leadership of McBurney, and with the suport of Lynch, Shelton, Ferris and Gregory, and the willingness to listen and discuss the issue by Carson Mullins, this was handled the way it should have been handled, professionally, and with a bit of compromise.
Adults and leaders should be able to sit down, discuss the issues and work out a solution. That is what happend, and I commend all of those involved.
Now the restaurants owners know what they need to do, and it is their hands to police themselves. Its their opportunity to make things work, or to blow it. The city leaders have done their job.
You are entirely correct. I commend the city leaders for their tact and patience on this issue.
I feel the police chief jumped the gun on it, and the leaders had a knee jerk reaction. They should have done this prior to the first reading of the ordanance, but, I guess by going ahead with the first reading, it put the pressure on the restaurant owners.
