News came out yesterday that the City of Milwaukee will enforce more fines against bars and restaurants that are not following the rules. They basically have hired a snitch office that will go and investigate each place for the city. The cases all across the country of COVID-19 are plummeting including in Wisconsin. More people are getting vaccinated daily with over 1,300 at the Wisconsin Center yesterday. This is not the time for Milwaukee to flex their muscles. While the city knows they’re close, let’s try to keep bars alive versus trying to tear them down with ridiculous fines.

I get that city wants to be safe. We’re headed into a huge few weekends of drinking usually. On most early March Saturdays, it is the Shamrock Shuffle. It is a complete and utter shitshow across the city. That is obviously not happening this year. Moreover, St. Patrick’s Day is a mere 12 days away then add in the NCAA Tournament, and Opening Day, there are a lot of days on the calendar that you find yourself at the bar. It makes sense. But what doesn’t make sense is trying to bring down these bars with large fines if they don’t comply with the rules.

Some people might say ‘Fuck them for not following the rules’, and if you are one of those people, I would remind you to not be heartless and understand it’s hard to control people sometimes. Milwaukee should be loosening things up. Connecticut will be opening up completely on March 19th. Now, they’ll still have mask-wearing which is another story for another time, but they’re going to open it back up. Why wouldn’t Milwaukee at least put some sort of goal for everyone? That would at least be helpful. Instead, it’s just rules and more rules.

Part of me feels the City of Milwaukee’s bar scene is on its last heartbeat.

Charlie.