Fourth Ward Alderman Brendon Gallagher has been guiding a BYOB license proposal through the city’s legislative process. Here is what he reported at his website about last Tuesday’s Liquor Commission meeting.

One member of the Commission asked the GM of the Haru of Japan sushi restaurant (who was at the meeting for liquor license approval) and I am not kidding on this question, “What ethnicity of waitstaff are your [sic] going to hire?”

This is 2010!!! Is Archie Bunker on this commission? What type of question is that to ask?

The General Manager of Haru of Japan asked a simple “What?” for his response.

Now you would think that the commission member would have taken the hint not to ask this again. But oh no he swung for the fences with “What ethnicity of your waitstaff are you going to hire?”

Wow! I could not believe he asked it a second time.

The GM of Haru of Japan looked shocked. He gave a great answer, “We are going to hire responsible people who want to work and be over 21 if they serve alcohol.”

From Gallagher’s description, it sounds like much of the meeting was a professionalism FAIL.