This is another example of over regulating our lives. We live in a state that is backwards in thinking. The ABC is supposed to regulate alcohol sales, distribution and consumption. Well I have dealt with many different agents and most are in the business of common sense. Some however are rogue in what they want or how they interpret their statutes and regulations. This shows that not all people in the agency are on the same page and there is no guideline for what is to be tolerated from one part of the state to another. The statutes and regulations are vague at best and are applied as an agent sees fit not the agency. There comes a time when all businesses or agencies need to be reexamined and brought up to the current times. Most of their regulations date back to the abolishment of prohibition. Well that is more than 7 to 8 generations ago. Well times have changed and so has society. What was the norm back then is not the norm today. The government is supposed to be by the people and for the people, well someone forgot to tell the ABC to join the new century. One example of not adapting with the times is the 45% 55% regulation. It states that an establishment has to sell 45% food to 55% liqour. Beer and wine are not counted in the liqour. The reasoning for this is that when prohibition was abolished the federal government asked the states what their concerns were and Va. was worried how liquor mainly moonshine affected people so they set up the regulation so that establishments had to feed people so that it would not cause them to be drunk and act up. Well it is now known that 1.5 oz of liqour is equal to 12oz of beer is equal to 5.5oz of wine, yet liquor is suppose to cause people to get more drunk and rowdy than beer or wine according to the regulation. Well science has shown this to be untrue  yet we still have this  regulation on the books.  So as you can see that is one example of  not keeping up with the times. We could break down the regulation book of the ABC and find more examples and would probably have to overhaul the agency, yet now with the organization not being on the same page in their application of the laws they now want to regulate the noise. Talk about taking a bite of something you can't chew. The agency needs to fix themselves before they take on something else. This is just another way to be able to keep certain establishments from functioning. They want to control the type of music that we play, the type or crowd that we draw and the type of shows that we have. That is what this is all about. It is a conspiracy between the cities and ABC to be able to shut down whatever establishments they deem unworthy. This is a violation of our right to free speech as well as civil rights violations. People want to go out and have a good time and listen to music, that is what draws people to establishments if they don't like it then they will go elsewhere, let them choose. This regulation is a form of censorship, which will be challenged in court. Don't waste your time and our tax money on this unnecessary regulation. You need to fix the ills of the agency so that it is still a viable part of the government.