Greetings Representative Hubbard,
As a Chicago-area homebrewer, and Brewing Network listener, I want to offer you my thanks for participating in our community. I found your interview to be extremely enlightening as I try to appreciate the battles my fellow homebrewers and gourmet-beer lovers have before them in Alabama.
On the surface, it is easy to pick on and showcase the bizarre sound-bites from the opposition, and after hearing your interview I give thought to how the opposition may view my values and reasoning as obtuse (such is the case with the majority of issues, I imagine!). "Lifting the sheet" is such an excellent metaphor for what must be done, as education will hopefully lead to reason. I also very much appreciate your creativity in getting these issues heard!
Something Justin said during your interview resonated strongly with me, and I hope you can borrow it in the future. At about the 2h:34m mark in the podcast he said in essence: People don't get into homebrewing to save money on getting drunk. I would say I'm doing that very successfully. As a personal statement, I will say that my alcohol consumption has decreased since getting into the hobby. In addition, I spend more time at home, and more money at my local homebrew shop. I also enjoy seeking out knowledge and exploring topics such as chemistry, economics, and general craftsmanship.
The progressive art and science of brewing has spurred a burgeoning industry of equipment/ingredient manufacturers, producers, distributers, and resellers. I hope that someday soon the political climate in Alabama will foster this kind of innovation and growth. There are a lot of impassioned people out there already, and I'm sure those numbers will grow as others become informed.
Thanks again for your work, and please take care.
Sincerely,
Bingbong
His response...
Bingbong,
Thank you for your kind words. I’ve spent some time in the Chicago area, and I remember it fondly.
I appreciate your perspective on reducing alcohol consumption and promoting family time. I have always said that home brewers and craft beer aficionados are in a different class than binge drinkers. We will keep fighting the good fight down here in Alabama, and I hope our brethren in the Midwest keep rooting us on.
Joe Hubbard
Joseph Lister Hubbard, Jr.
Representative to District 73
Alabama House of Representatives
P.O. Box 781
Montgomery, AL 36101-0781
334.324.6364 (c)
joe.hubbard@alhouse.gov
