Liquor sellers hit MADD's ties to supporters of wine measure

The Massachusetts chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which has adopted a neutral position in the debate over allowing more food stores to sell wine, lists as sponsors two of the supermarket chains leading the fight for the wine measure.

Stop & Shop Supermarkets regularly contributes to MADD. It donated $15,000 to sponsor the group's recent Strides for Change fund-raising walk. Shaw's Supermarkets contributed $2,500. Big Y supermarkets has also been a financial supporter, MADD officials said.

Benjamin Weiner, the owner of Sav-Mor Liquors in Somerville, said the contributions help explain why an organization dedicated to preventing drunken driving is staying neutral on the November vote, which could lead to a sharp increase in the number of wine retailers.

``MADD is like any other group who supports its contributors at any price," Weiner said.

David Deiuliis , communications director for MADD in Massachusetts, said the organization is remaining neutral on the ballot question not because of any contributions it has received but because the organization does not involve itself in licensing issues.

Deiuliis also said no solid research indicates that giving cities and towns the option to issue new wine-at-food-store licenses would lead to more underage drinking or to drunken driving.

``This debate has more to do with business. It's about market share. It's about the bottom line," Deiuliis said.

The MADD chapter in Minnesota took a different position. Over the past several years, it opposed supermarkets' efforts to win passage of a measure to allow them to sell wine.

MADD Minnesota's opposition was based partly on the belief that increased availability of wine could result in an increase of alcohol-related problems among youth, according to a position paper from the organization.

This week, l iquor wholesalers and package stores opposed to passage of the ballot question launched a television advertising campaign that suggests the state's low drunken-driving mortality rate would increase if the question passes.

The Globe reported on Tuesday that the federal statistics on which the commercial is based offer little evidence of a link between the state's low number of drunken-driving fatalities and its stance on wine sales at food stores.

Yesterday, more than 30 police chiefs and law enforcement officials appeared at a news conference on the State House steps to make the case that increasing the amount of alcohol sold would increase the number of drinking-related problems they have to contend with.

``We all see Question 1 as a public-safety issue," said Tom Shamshak , a former police chief and currently vice chairman of the Town of Billerica's substance abuse committee.

``People say it's only wine. My granddaughter lost her life because someone drank almost a bottle of wine at lunch," said Ron Bersani , the grandfather of Melanie Powell, whose death in 2003 led to the passage of a law to crack down on drunk drivers.

Asked about MADD's neutrality, Bersani said: ``We just disagree on this issue. MADD sees it as a licensing issue. I respect their position."

Current Massachusetts law allows any corporate entity to own three liquor licenses.

The ballot question will ask if municipalities should be given the option of granting five new ``wine-at-food-store" licenses. Municipalities with more than 5,000 residents could issue one additional wine-at-food-store license for each additional 5,000 residents.

Liquor wholesalers and package stores say voter approval of the change would yield 2,879 new licenses, but supermarkets say municipalities would probably grant fewer than 1,000.

The wholesalers say gas stations and convenience stores would receive licenses, but supermarkets say that the wording of the question would exclude most convenience stores. It defines a food store as a store that sells meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, fresh fruit, produce, baked goods, baking ingredients, canned goods, and dessert items.

Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.