What do you think of Silver Bay’s vote to remove a local beer from a municipal liquor store?

"The Silver Bay City Council voted 3-2 to remove Bent Paddle beer from the municipal liquor store in response to the brewery's stance on proposed copper mining in the region," reports Jamey Malcomb of the Duluth News Tribune.

The vote went against a city Liquor Commission recommendation to allow customers to make a choice about whether to purchase the products, and allow the market to determine if there is a reason to remove Bent Paddle from shelves.

The City Council vote was spurred by a strongly worded email from a Silver Bay resident who objected to products made by Duluth-based Bent Paddle Brewing Co. being sold in the city's municipal liquor store because of the brewery's membership in the Downstream Business Coalition. The coalition is a group of 68 businesses who oppose proposed copper mining projects in Northeastern Minnesota — such as the PolyMet project near Hoyt Lakes. They say the potential environmental damage from mine waste could do greater harm to the region's economy than added mining jobs will help.

Today's Question: What do you think of Silver Bay's vote to remove a local beer from a municipal liquor store?

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