Editorial for May 4, 2006

Perzel to the rescue?

As disputes go, it certainly is different.
We have Mike Templeton, a guy who lives along the riverfront in Delanco, N.J., and claims he can hear the noise and music of parties booked at Glen Foerd. We have Jack Conroy, the caterer who hosts these wedding receptions and parties at the grand Torresdale mansion, and claims he has really tried to appease Templeton.
And then we have state House Speaker John Perzel.
We’ll say first off that we’re not in a position to judge the merits of this tiff. (Read about it on today’s front page and decide for yourself.) It could be that Templeton truly has hearing that would make Superman envious. Could be, too, that Conroy has tried to address his complaints.
But it’s ludicrous that Perzel has stepped in on Conroy’s behalf, feeling obliged to legislate a resolution to this dispute. We love the wording of his legislation. It excludes establishments with a restaurant liquor license from state regulations on amplified music if, 1) it is "on premises owned by a City of the First Class," 2) it is on the National Register of Historic Places, and 3) the site "contains a structure at least 100 years old."
Gee, let’s see now . . . what old joint around here could fulfill such narrow, rigid and outlandish criteria? Hmmmmm.
It’s OK that Perzel hails Conroy as a constituent whose business puts people to work. We’re just wowed by the transparency of the lawmaker’s deft move, coming as it did after Templeton — dissed by city agencies because he lives out of state — got cooperation from the Pennsylvania State Police and its Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, which has cited the caterer on violations of loud music.
In essence, Perzel’s funny legislative amendment gives Glen Foerd and Conroy a free pass from state noise regulations that still monitor other clubs or catering halls that host music. Just by the capricious nature of this Perzel end run, it would be intriguing to see another establishment make a test case of it in court.
It is not Perzel’s role to dream up special-treatment legislation that potentially handcuffs the state police or other agencies in their enforcement of Pennsylvania codes. There’s already a wonderful system in place that affords Templeton and Conroy the opportunity to present their cases.
It’s called due process. ••

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