By Steven T. Jones
San Francisco nightclubs continue to fight through the recent crackdown by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on a number of fronts. Club owners have had to hire lawyers, politicians are pushing for explanations, and advocates have set up a new website through which to rally support.
“The ABC has refused any overtures made by counsel for the clubs to settle the open cases and the implications, being so broad as to affect every ABC license holder in the state, are too great for the group to ‘take a bad deal’ that would come back to haunt them. We are pushing forward,” says Terrance Alan, a club owner and member of the San Francisco Entertainment Commission who has been working on the issue.
Meanwhile, after our story on the issue last month, the Guardian heard from recently retired ABC licensing officer Ross Glen, who once worked with DNA Lounge, one of the clubs currently fighting ABC sanctions.
He wrote: “I believe that ABC’s proposed revocation of the DNA’s license is excessive and out of proportion to the offense committed. During the course of my investigation, I found the DNA to be appreciated by their immediate neighbors, diligent in their efforts to adhere to the applicable laws and sincere in their desire to address the concerns of the Department with regard to the various circumstances that surround the operation of an all-ages music venue.”
At a time when the city is increasing street fair fees and otherwise continuing the Death of Fun policies that threaten this city’s culture and nightlife, the ABC’s inexplicable crackdown comes as a double-whammy to San Francisco.