The Introductory paragraph states:
“Experience has shown that underaged admission events at nightclub facilities create safety and order issues for the surrounding area…This places signifigant additional burdens on Police resources”
“..in recent months there has been an alarming increase in problems of this nature associated with these events…Because of these specific concerns in this area, the Licensing Division is currently working with the Boston Police and obtaining their input of the issues..”
“Until this process is completed, you as a established licenesed for the entertainment categories of disc jockey, dancing and/or live music are hearby directed not to operate any underage admission events at your facility until further notice”
It goes on:
.”As an exception, licensees will be allowed to feature live music concerts at which persons under 21 may attend pursuant to the following guidelines:”
1. Such live concerts must end no later than 11pm after which the establishment must enforce a 21+ admission policy
2. Licensees offering underage admission concerts may not offer another live concert of live instrumental and vocal music on the same day, but may offer other approved categories of their entertainment license…
3. Licensees must provide advance notice of 14 days to the Licensing Division…for such events…
4. Licensee must have on file approved plan on how they are to prevent under 21 from consuming alcholic beverages…
The directive closes in part with this:
“licensees are directed to refrain from underage admission events other than the concerts described above. Failure to adhere to this directive would create serious public safety and order issues for the City”
Sincerly,
Patricia Malone
My two main issues with the way this is being handled are
(1)BPD and Licensing refuses to back up their claim and provide any hard evidence or data that would support their contention that enabling underage events contributes in a disproportionate way to law and order issues in the City. In fact they seem to ignore the ramifications for law and order by encouraging the under 21 set to hold their own events in homes and basements throughout the City. Their supposed “solution” will create dangerous situations where thousands of undergrads will have no choice but to seek out unsupervised, unlicensed venues to gather. They will drink more and put themsleves and the surrounding neighborhoods at increased risk.
(2)This policy is not being applied evenly. No one is enforcing this rule on the Garden for example. So the giant corporate owners of the Garden will continue to hold concerts and sporting events for all ages, while nightclubs lounges and other venues will not be able to. It is also unclear if this directive is being applied to all clubs and bars throughout all of Boston or not. Earlier last month, the City had said it was only halting underage events at a smaller number of venues. Now it may be that they are extending this policy city wide, but since no public clarifications have come, we don’t know for sure.
This policy change is being made in secret, devoid of hearings or input from the public and it is favoring the large arenas like the Garden and Fenway over small, orginal and unique venues that are owned and operated by regular Boston residents. The Mayor is casually taking this action without regard to the economic and cultural ramifications and he is doing it in secret without feeling the slightest need to explain himself or hold public hearings.
The Mayor it seems is warming up to the idea of being Mayor for life, and he seems to be increasingly fond of grandstanding while accomplishing very little. We have a Mayor who is issuing decrees that affect the lives of thousands and the economic well being of many.
What I ask is for whatever data they City is basing this decision on be released, now. Mr Mayor does not have the right to rule us like we are his dutiful minions. He must explain this policy in public, or it should be scraped.
Before I wrote my post about this yesterday, I called the city to ask some questions about the directive. As I noted in my post, they couldn’t tell me anything about it. They did take my name and number, and said the director (Patricia) would call me back. She never did. What was the secret of your luck? Just a coincidence or a better-timed call?
Someone should contact the Police Department and ask them for data regarding incidents outside underage events. You think they’d want to give it to us, you know to prove how the situation is.
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Right?
Huh, odd, now this post is on the front page but my earlier post which was on the front page (I swear I saw it there!) isn’t. Another SoapBlox quirk?
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Well, I linked from there to here, I guess a link the other way would be useful too:
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Boston Bashes 18+ Events
Back in late December, Police and Fire officials began showing up at the doors of certain clubs and telling them that they could no longer be 19+. For most of these clubs, these visits were the first sign that something was wrong. Consumer Affairs said that they had mailed out letters, but most of the clubs in question didn’t know of any policy change. Nothing was put in writing.
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As a result of this , many long runnign 19+ nights were cancelled or turned into 21+ nights at the start of the new year. That includes the very long running 19+ night on Monday nights at Axis for gay kids. (I have NO financial interest in that night BTW). For many kids who are coming out, that night and others like it are the first place they can go and dance with other gay kids without being in harms way.
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So, in January, both the Boston Globe and InNewsweekly reported the change:
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http://www.boston.co…
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http://www.innewswee…
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You’ll notice in the Globe article it sounds like they are only targeting certain clubs.
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Since then, club owners have been waiting to see what the City is going to do, but in the meantime they are losing a lot of money and kids are now driving to clubs in Providence (sounds safe, right?).
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Since no club wants to offend Mayor For Life, none will be the first to go public with complaints, or better yet, a lawsuit. No one wants to be the club that does that, and I think they are all hoping someone else will be.
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Until then, it is up to people who care about the well being of these kids, the economic viability of smaller venues, and the long term prospects for Boston to stand up and call out the Mayor on this policy.
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When the first 19 year old kid dies in a house fire in some overcrowded basement party, Mr Menino will be responsible for creating this situation. And everyone else who stands by while this terrible policy is enacted will also be culpable.
The Globe reports on the Directive:
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http://www.boston.co…
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In the article, Patricia Malone says:
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This is a lie. I have the directive in front of me. The section that describes conditions under which underage events can be approved clearly states that even when the exception is granted “”Such live concerts must end at 11pm”
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Now maybe I’m being too harsh. Maybe she isn’t a liar. Maybe she just doesn’t understand the directive herself. But I do.
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I also love this line in the article from Menino’s spokesperson:
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She doesn’t want to get into specifics. How nice for her. Why not? Because the data doesn’t back up their claims? Or because all of us little pea brained citizens wouldn’t understand?
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So, is City Hall being dishonest, or just stupid?
specifically to ask you: please, write to the Globe about this article, and clue them in. You might try Jonathan Perry directly.
thanks potroast for dragging some info from the city’s miserly grip. It really confounds me what they’re up to with this. As you say, if the crime stats exist, show us, talk to us, and work with all concerned on a mutually reasonable solution. The more they keep this up, the more people’s imaginations will fill in the blank on as to what they are really up to.