You might remember the big battle with P.T.'s Gentlemen's Club in 2003, when a group of neighbors banded together to force the club from its then-home on Northwest Highway near the DART stop and over to Miller and Plano. Community involvement not only caused the strip club to move; legal efforts led by then-State Rep. Bill Keffer and State Senator John Carona resulted in passage of a state law prohibiting sexually oriented businesses (SOBs) from serving alcohol in a dry area, having the effect of preventing P.T.'s from serving alcohol at the new location.
Naturally, P.T.'s wasn't excited about the BYOB concept (designed to cut into its profits and possibly make it unprofitable for the club to stay in business), so it and other SOBs filed suit, claiming the law violated their constitutional rights. The neighborhood raised the money to hire Scott Bergthold, a nationally recognized lawyer familiar with this issue, to file a "friend-of-the-court" brief. A federal district court upheld the law, but in March, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case back to district court for further review. The case is set for trial Dec. 10, and neighborhood resident Ray Hill is leading the charge to bring Bergthold back to help. About $8,000 is needed to fund his efforts.
Hill says an anonymous neighborhood business has volunteered to match donations dollar for dollar, and so far he has raised about $4,000 (including the matching funds) but he needs $4,000 more. If you're willing to help, send Ray an email. Ray says the donation will be tax deductible, too. And stay tuned for updates on the issue.
Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I never saw the harm of having PT's where it used to be, or for that matter, where it is now. Those who are offended by "gentlemen's clubs" are entitled to stay away. Live and let live.
To the point of running a topless club in a dry area, PT's is perfectly in their right to do so. Totally nude establishments must abide by similar restrictions, but make up for it by charging higher cover charges.
In my opinion, dry laws are the number one aspect that keeps Dallas (and Texas) in the dark ages. How annoying is it to be in a grocery store on one arbitrary side of the street that doesn't have beer, and have to make a special trip to another location? In addtion, these liquor store "ghettos" that attract a seedier element would be a thing of the past if Dallas were progressive enough to get rid of these archaic laws and let the market decide how many liquor stores the city can support.
I love living in Dallas, and the Lake Highlands area in particular, but I dream for a day when we become more progressive.
I will not support this legal campaign, and suggest we focus our efforts to more worthwhile goals.
-Kevin
Posted by: Kevin | October 17, 2007 at 10:07 AM