Taxpayers Don’t Want Public Drinking

To the Editor:
How lucky the “parochial people in the Northeast who rarely travel beyond their limited sphere” are to have Sam Robb of Atlanta, Ga., author of that sentiment, to share his observations.
Robb, in his Feb. 26 letter, apparently thought using insults against the year-round residents of Ocean City would be an effective way to get us to agree with him that our town should permit BYOB.
Why would a man who boasts, “I never spend any money on the island other than my annual beach tags” care that the consumption of alcohol is unlawful in restaurants he doesn’t patronize?
 Perhaps owing to his disdain for the traditions of Ocean City, Robb also writes “it’s a shame that 11,000 people dictate what’s good for the 130,000 summer folks … At the very least, the town leadership should attempt to understand the needs and wants of the seasonal pests.”
Is that how it works in Atlanta, Ga.? Do the people passing through get to decide the rules for those who have put down year-round roots?
Here’s what Ocean City’s elected officials have always understood about the needs and wants of our seasonal visitors: They want the boardwalk and roads maintained at taxpayer expense. They want the municipal airport, golf course, recreational fields and playgrounds paid for by taxpayers. They want parades, fireworks and block parties funded by merchants and taxpayers. They want car shows, goofy contests, and entertainment.
Do they want drinking in public? Maybe. But the people whose tax dollars pay for everything overwhelmingly reaffirmed in 2012 that they do not.
Here’s hoping Robb continues to enjoy “the stop at a liquor store on the gateway to America’s Greatest Family Resort” that he describes as “the highlight” of his visit because, while it is illegal to drink in public, it isn’t a violation to drink in a private residence or to discard empty bottles in recycling bins in the alleys.