The Post Strikes a Balance

In today's NY Post the paper editorializes on the recent City Council Nightlife Safety Summit and manages to strike a decent balance in its view of what needs to be done. This does not mean that the editorial is something that the industry can agree with 100%, but it is, given the paper's ongoing and relentless campaign-titled "Wasteland"-a big step in the right direction (Not to mention the nice picture of NYNA's David Rabin right in the middle of the editorial).

The good news in the piece is its call to find a good balance, basically to not throw the nightclub baby out with the safety bath water. The Post points out that all of the legislative measures can "help to stem underage drinking...But they need to be done in a way that is sensitive to the concerns of the businesses and, of course, the patrons."

The paper also goes out of its way to underscore the economic contribution that the industry makes to the city and, in a not too subtle dig, remarks that the Council isn't often sensitive to any concerns of the private sector (implying that it shouldn't go too far in legislating restrictions that could hurt the clubs).

The Post also quotes NYNA's Rabin in the editorial about the association's appreciation that the industry is finally being listened to. In the end, however, the Post also advocates the curtailment of bottle service, a practice that has extreme economic repercussions, but is something that the industry is going to have to come to grips with in some fashion since the pols are clearly on the warpath on this issue.

All in all, this was a good pro-industry piece and gives a clear indication of the potential that a well-organized industry response can achieve in the media arena once everyone gets behind their trade association. It doesn't guarantee success but the failure to organize does guarantee failure.