I've found it a real pain to drive to Memorial Drive for two-buck-Chuck when the Trader Joe's closer to home would be more convenient. If the proposed ballot amendment allowing chain grocery stores to sell wine in more than three locations goes through, that extra drive will be history.

The downside is that local package stores will lose business against the big chains who can price cheap wines even cheaper. But some of the arguments against the proposal made by independents seem based more in desperation than fact.

Opponents of the initiative say issuing liquor licenses to allow supermarkets to sell wine might increase drunken-driving and underage drinking and deal a severe economic blow to neighborhood liquor stores.

I'll buy the latter, but the a wave of drunk driving caused by cheap chardonnay? Who's going to buy that whine?