SOOOOOOOOO, I haven't even faxed this back to them yet, but here it is,
anyway:
December 23, 1996
To The Editor, Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune:
Ouch.
Drug dealer?  Needles?  Profit from the addictions of others?  Kids?
Regis and Kathie Lee?  What have you guys at the newspaper been smoking,
anyway?
Um, you've never been to our store, have you?
I agree with you that a community interested in the quality of their
future will help shape the character of their downtown.  In the nine
years that I've operated my store, not one citizen, city official, law
enforcement officer, clergyman, or man from Mars ever walked into my
place and simply said "I have a problem with the stuff you sell".
Frankly, it's kind of hard to believe that being blind-sided by six
councilmen, two police officers and one mother truly constitutes a
mirror-image of the community's opinion.
I assume Spencer's city council will pass their ordinance 7-0 on the
second reading.
Our new merchandise is either on order, or being solicited from our
suppliers.
I've reassured the landlord.
Thank you for your opinion on my "spray of protests".  By my count,
we agree on:
        1.  We don't need more regulations
        2.  Spencer's ordinance in anti-business in nature
        3.  Prohibition creates black markets
I usually do my bickering on these topics in different forums, and I will
forward these points as having passed your scrutiny.
Finally, I'd like to point out that I ran a "paraphernalia-free" store
in Storm Lake for three years.  At that location now, we can all buy the
one drug we seem to agree is cheap, legal, and beneficial to society-
alcohol, and all of its beautiful paraphernalia.
Think about it, please.
                             ....and so this is Christmas....
                                       John Lennon
Steve Ross
Rainy Day Music
512 Grand Ave
Spencer, Ia 51301
 * SLMR 2.1a *  Dec 23 Happy Birthday Eddie Vedder
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