Take control of our destiny
By Jeff Hainline
Certified Server Trainer
Well, it's time to pay the bill ... the tax bill in this case, and I have managed to be my very own stimulus package for the government.
Ultimately, a lot of the decisions we make are based on monetary considerations. Can I afford this, or not? Personally, I wish I had the ability to tell the IRS I really can't afford to pay them, but I know that isn't prudent or realistic.
Some people may feel that training employees in responsible alcohol service is either too costly or really not needed since the proposed rule changes that incorporated benefits for training are not going to be enacted. I noted in my previous article that ultimately all of us will be training voluntarily, or it will be mandated.
The time is right to be proactive and demonstrate that we are perfectly capable and willing to self regulate. Montana has endured tragedy after tragedy in high profile alcohol related traffic fatalities, and the last 18 months has been the equivalent of throwing gas on a fire.
The problem is not going away; the people who are justifiably outraged and heartbroken are certainly not going away.
I can tell you that I was on the wrong side of the smoking issue; I knew it would hurt business, and I spent a lot of energy and emotion trying to convince the opposition that it was an issue of the owner's rights being trampled.
I believe that campaign will pale in comparison to what we will see brought before the next legislative session. We have an undeniable problem in Montana with drinking and driving, primarily by hardcore repeat offenders with astonishing BAC levels.
No business owner in their right mind would think selling to a minor is an acceptable idea. Responsible server training also teaches employees how to recognize, and prevent sales and driving to obviously intoxicated persons.
Do we want to invest in upfront training to clearly send a message that we will do whatever it takes to play our part in keeping the obviously intoxicated drivers off the road, or do we wait for mandates and new taxes to allocate the same money, with no say as to where or how it is spent?
The choice is clear.