As Controversy Swirls, the Council Prepares for Nightlife Vote

This afternoon at two o'clock the city council will vote on proposed new nightclub regulations, bitterly opposed by Seattle's entertainment industry. Yet even as the council prepares for the vote, controversy continues to swirl over SPD's nightclub sting op from Saturday, Sept. 8.

This morning, The Seattle Times reported on inaccuracies in its article from a week age today on elements of the sting operation, including the disputed claim that a gun made it into Tommy's on the Ave after a bouncer was offered a $100 bribe. Jush Feit over at the Slog tore them a new one for getting info wrong again, particularly on the point about violence.

Councilwoman Sally Clark, who favors the new regulations, has criticized the sting as being counterproductive for her efforts. According to the Times: "Clark also noted that while serving underage or inebriated patrons is wrong, preventing that is mainly the state Liquor Control Board's job. The council's proposed nightclub ordinance, among other things, would hold clubs accountable for violence."

As Feit rightly points out, the city can--and has done so in the recent past--work with the Liquor Control Board to shut down clubs and bars on these grounds.

But for our money, the most troubling assertion in the Times article was this misleading bit:

Carr and police say the sting was not motivated by politics but by a concern for public safety. Bartenders and bouncers have a duty to follow the law in exchange for the privilege of serving liquor, Carr said, and the sting exposed a corrupt system in which minors were easily served liquor.

If the sting's results are representative, that happens six times more frequently in Seattle bars than in bars elsewhere across the state.

"That's what's scary," Carr said. "As a parent, you count on the expectation that if your kids are going out, they're not going to be able to get in with a bunch of adults and be served alcohol."

As we pointed out last week, that's totally BS. As anyone who actually gets out a lot in Seattle (as Seattlest does) knows, the bars and clubs caught in the sting were easy targets--anyone with half a brain could have told you there were underage drinkers at Twilight or Tommy's. The city is strong-arming the clubs by politicizing police work to win a controversial and unnecessary legislative battle, and that's wrong.

The council meeting starts at two o'clock today, and the Seattle Nightlife and Music Association is encouraging opponents of the regulations to show up early to sign up to comment. Here's you chance to do your part, gang. Help save Seattle's nightlife!

Image of the Bridge Motel by lachance, from Seattlest's flickr pool. Thanks for a shot of what we stand to lose today.