All those “no” signs sprouting up on lawns all over Plymouth were paid for by a fundraising campaign that has brought in five times the amount of money raised by supporters of a prohibition on alcoholic beverage nips.
Plymouth voters will decide on Saturday, Jan. 13, whether to uphold the ban, which was passed by Town Meeting in October. If voters sustain that governing body’s decision, the ban would go into effect July 1.
As of Jan. 3, the forces opposing the ban on bottles of alcoholic beverages up to 100ml had raised $46,525 and spent $27,300, according to a campaign finance report filed with the town clerk by the Plymouth Coalition for Consumer Choice.
Yes on 1 Plymouth, the group supporting the ban, had raised just $9,226 and spent $4,909.
Nearly half the funds raised by the “no” campaign came from just one contributor, Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of Massachusetts, which contributed $20,000. Other large contributors included Sazerac, the Kentucky-based distiller of cognac, whiskey, vodka, and more than 450 spirits, which contributed $10,000; and the Massachusetts Package Stores Association, which spent $5,000.
The “no” side spent most of its money with Washington, D.C.-based Mayflower Strategies to pay for lawn signs, a voter database, voter and data information, consulting, and advertising. It also spent $3,000 to advertise on the Howie Carr Show.
In contrast, the “yes” side raised its money through smaller contributions, almost all of them from Plymouth residents. They gave anywhere from $10.50 to $1,250.
The group spent most of its funds with East Coast Printing, in Hingham, for signs and mailers.
The two sides do not have to report a final accounting of their fundraising and spending until 30 days after Saturday’s special town election, which has only one question on the ballot.
Early voting at Town Hall ends Wednesday at 4 p.m. On Saturday, voters can cast ballots at their precinct polling places from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org.