WHINE AND WINE: Aldermen Rescue Bar Louie

Here they come to save the day!



Five aldermen are coming to the rescue of Bar Louie.

The lifeblood of the establishment is its liquor license. Nonetheless, the airheads at Bar Louie failed to renew it. They allowed it to expire. The lapse meant that Bar Louie would be dry until the Common Council convened on September 5.

Bad for business.

Don't you just hate paperwork and deadlines and being responsible?

It's so hard. (Pout and stamp feet here.)

Milwaukee alderman Bob Bauman told 12 News' Chloe Morroni that Bar Louie filed its liquor license renewal too late and it expired. The city's common council issues the licenses and it doesn't meet again until Sept. 5. That means that's the earliest Bar Louie will be able to serve drinks again.

"If liquor is the heart of your business, you kind of make sure you got that duck in a row," said Bauman.

The bar and restaurant were closed on Tuesday but Bauman says it can still operate as a restaurant; it just can't serve drinks. 12 News tried to contact bar executives, but they would not comment on the issue.

One employee said he was told the restaurant will reopen in a week, but that Bar Louie is taking care of its workers.

"There's stuff for us to do. It's not like we're completely out of a job," said Paul Thibaudeau. (Emphasis mine)

Bauman said another issue is that the city got a letter from the state Department of Revenue asking them not to renew Bar Louie's license because of unpaid sales taxes. Bauman said state law requires the Department of Revenue to give the OK before issuing the license.

You can bet that "Gatekeeper" Ald. Michael McGee never would have let a liquor license expire on his watch. If a license did expire, he'd take care of it ASAP.

Too bad the dolts at Bar Louie didn't have someone like McGee around.

"Free McGee -- He's good for Milwaukee's economy."

It turns out that Bar Louie is getting a mulligan.

The Milwaukee Common Council has called a special meeting next week to vote on renewing the liquor license for the popular Water St. tavern, which was facing a five-week shutdown because of a paperwork mix-up.

Bar Louie's license expired Monday night. Tavern managers had applied for a renewal, but they missed the deadline to obtain a place on the council's Tuesday agenda. With the council's August recess starting, the bar closed, unable to legally serve alcohol until the next regular council meeting Sept. 5. That put about 90 employees temporarily out of work.

But the council can call a special meeting at the request of five aldermen. Aldermen Bob Bauman, Mike D'Amato, Joe Dudzik, Jim Witkowiak and Tony Zielinski signed a letter asking for the meeting, Deputy City Clerk Jim Owczarski said. The session has been set for 9 a.m. Tuesday and could deal with other licensing matters as well, Owczarski said.

I think talk radio played a role in shaming the aldermen into interrupting their lazy, hazy, crazy August recess and calling the special meeting.

As full-time employees of Milwaukee taxpayers, pulling in salaries of over $70,000 plus a car allowance, it didn't look good that they couldn't be bothered to help out a downtown business in trouble.

So, there will be a special meeting. The aldermen will drag themselves downtown on August 7 so that the booze will soon be flowing again at Bar Louie. And the aldermen will be back to doing whatever it is they do during August.

Moral of the story:

No need for Milwaukee business owners with liquor licenses to get stressed about renewal and expiration dates.

No license? No problem.

Simply alert the media and shame those overpaid Common Council members into showing up for work and make the problem disappear.

It's a "No Responsibility" zone. WOO HOO!!!