AND WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THIS “ENTITLEMENT,” EXACTLY?

 

Jack Daniel’s and Lynchburg have been inseparable since a young man named Jack Daniel came there more than a century ago to learn the art of distilling corn mash into whiskey. He set up shop on the northeastern end of town and the company has never looked to go anywhere else. It produces 23 million gallons of amber gold – about a billion dollars worth, every year.

But the company’s deep pockets make it a prime target for a local government that is strapped for revenue – and now a private citizen wants to slap the storied whiskey producer with a $10 tax on each and every barrel the distillery fills.

“We are entitled to more money from the only industry in the county – Jack Daniel’s distillery,” said Charles Rogers, a 75-year-old retiree and self-described “concerned citizen” of Moore County – home to Lynchburg and Jack Daniel’s.

Well, I guess if you want money, and someone else has money, that’s all the “entitlement” you need, these days.

UPDATE: A couple of readers email that they’re intrigued at the idea of “occupying” the Jack Daniel’s distillery. Stop — that way lies madness! Or at least a really nasty hangover.