Comments on: It’s time to privatize state liquor stores http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/08/its-time-to-privatize-state-liquor-stores/ A blog about the world of wine Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:13:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Nick http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/08/its-time-to-privatize-state-liquor-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-31442 Nick Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:31:33 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=5219#comment-31442 Ah - Americans. This is all a religious based issue - NOTHING else. Oh and there is a rumor that we are to have separation of church and state in America. Not! Ah – Americans. This is all a religious based issue – NOTHING else. Oh and there is a rumor that we are to have separation of church and state in America. Not!

]]> By: steve http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/08/its-time-to-privatize-state-liquor-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-31256 steve Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:26:58 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=5219#comment-31256 Ray, I occasionally enjoy turning Repub logic back on them. Ray, I occasionally enjoy turning Repub logic back on them.

]]> By: Ray Krause http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/08/its-time-to-privatize-state-liquor-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-31249 Ray Krause Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:41:56 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=5219#comment-31249 "I am calling on all politicians in control states to put their money where their mouths are. Are you in favor of market-based capitalism, or of the heavy, controlling hand of government?" Careful Steve, your call and sentiment could spread to the hallowed halls of Health Care, the Post Office, Social Security, all manner of Welfare and even Marijuana legalization. By golly, I am proud of you. “I am calling on all politicians in control states to put their money where their mouths are. Are you in favor of market-based capitalism, or of the heavy, controlling hand of government?”

Careful Steve, your call and sentiment could spread to the hallowed halls of Health Care, the Post Office, Social Security, all manner of Welfare and even Marijuana legalization. By golly, I am proud of you.

]]> By: Justin McInerny http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/08/its-time-to-privatize-state-liquor-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-31148 Justin McInerny Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:40:53 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=5219#comment-31148 Don't want to vent too much but you have hit close to home. Montgomery County, Maryland is also a control jurisdiction. The rest of Maryland is not, except for another tiny county on the Eastern Shore. Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest, best educated places in the US and its population is larger than Vermont's by 300,000. The county is right next to DC and Northern VA both of which have some good to great wine stores and restaurants with terrific wine lists. In short, good wine is in high demand here and people can afford to pay for it. Unfortunately, every drop of alcohol that gets sold in the county has to be bought from the county, plus there are limits on how much you can bring into the county for personal use. There is no practical way you can legally self cater a wedding, New Year's party etc. unless you buy from the county. This is because you would be importing too much alcohol. This is enforced. County police will observe people loading cars on the DC side of the line. For a wholesaler to sell wine in the county that's not stocked by the county there is an automatic 25% mark up from the wholesaler to the retailer. In other words, I sell something for $10.00 a bottle in DC to a shop. This same bottle in a shop in Montgomery County Maryland - two blocks away, has to be sold to the county at $10.00 per bottle then resold to the shop at $12.50. Plus I can only change prices in the first five days of the month - for the following month. There are a lot of other details that I won't rant about, such as the way the product is handled in a non air conditioned ware house in August. But to put it simply and politely - it's a frustrating situation that is unlikely to change. I am confident that the county would make more money by privatizing but there is no real hue and cry from the populace. People who care about wine either pay the premium or just go to DC, VA or neighboring counties. People who don't care about wine just buy whatever is in stock at the county. Same is true for craft beers of course but that's for other spots in the blogosphere. Thanks for letting me get on my soap box. Don’t want to vent too much but you have hit close to home. Montgomery County, Maryland is also a control jurisdiction. The rest of Maryland is not, except for another tiny county on the Eastern Shore. Montgomery County is one of the wealthiest, best educated places in the US and its population is larger than Vermont’s by 300,000. The county is right next to DC and Northern VA both of which have some good to great wine stores and restaurants with terrific wine lists. In short, good wine is in high demand here and people can afford to pay for it. Unfortunately, every drop of alcohol that gets sold in the county has to be bought from the county, plus there are limits on how much you can bring into the county for personal use. There is no practical way you can legally self cater a wedding, New Year’s party etc. unless you buy from the county. This is because you would be importing too much alcohol. This is enforced. County police will observe people loading cars on the DC side of the line.

For a wholesaler to sell wine in the county that’s not stocked by the county there is an automatic 25% mark up from the wholesaler to the retailer. In other words, I sell something for $10.00 a bottle in DC to a shop. This same bottle in a shop in Montgomery County Maryland – two blocks away, has to be sold to the county at $10.00 per bottle then resold to the shop at $12.50. Plus I can only change prices in the first five days of the month – for the following month. There are a lot of other details that I won’t rant about, such as the way the product is handled in a non air conditioned ware house in August. But to put it simply and politely – it’s a frustrating situation that is unlikely to change. I am confident that the county would make more money by privatizing but there is no real hue and cry from the populace. People who care about wine either pay the premium or just go to DC, VA or neighboring counties. People who don’t care about wine just buy whatever is in stock at the county. Same is true for craft beers of course but that’s for other spots in the blogosphere.

Thanks for letting me get on my soap box.

]]> By: steve http://www.steveheimoff.com/index.php/2010/02/08/its-time-to-privatize-state-liquor-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-31136 steve Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:56:12 +0000 http://www.steveheimoff.com/?p=5219#comment-31136 Kelly, I think they believe tax revenues would go up because there would be more places to buy wine, hence greater sales. Kelly, I think they believe tax revenues would go up because there would be more places to buy wine, hence greater sales.

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