Fascinating story from the Wall Street Journal, which reports that red-neck bible belt Georgians are a-fixin' open up the doors, and to sell demon rum to Sinners, even on (gasp) Sundays:
Meanwhile back at the headquarters of the "tea-totalling Utah Taliban," the business genuises at the Utah Legislature are figuring out ways to cut the expenses (and revenues) for the most profitable state-operated entity ever, the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, within the Socialist Monopoly Utah Gummint Holy Scheme:
- Projected Utah liquor cuts will mean more closings
- After hiatus, more liquor law changes are in the works
And please... somebody explain why Utah Legislators always feel the compelling urge to consult "LDS Church Elders," any time they contemplate the need to bring Utah's liquor laws into the mainstream of 20th Century America?
Shouldn't our right wing legislature just "privatize" the liquor business, and turn the whole danged headache over to the "private sector," which they all generally profess to love O So Much?
We're totally flummoxed on this Church v. State Issue, and wonder why our legislative right-wing nutcases don't practice what they preach. How 'bout you?
Just axin...
7 comments:
The Churchislature pretends its about public safety... but it really involves authoritarian control... keeping the infidels in their place... and reminding them who's really in charge...
I think Charlie Trentelman nailed this one on his SE blog "Blogging The Rambler" in a post titled "Stupid Lawmakers, Utah Version" over at the SE. Charlie wrote:
You preach that government should be run like a business. You even threaten to close services of government — parks anyone? – that don’t bring in enough revenue. So you then look at a branch of government that is making $100 million a year in revenue, selling a product that has an 85 percent markup — 85 percent!! — and say “well, of course, we need to cut back on that.”
I think the Legislature is merely showing their usual contempt for the liquor customers as they know full well that their gross sales are not going to go down one cent over these closures.
People are not going to quit drinking, or even cut back, because of this. They are simply going to drive to the nearest liquor store where ever it is.
So the bottom line will increase because they will cut the expenses by the closings and still sell the same amount of hooch as before.
The only losses might be in towns close to the state borders where people might slide over to Idaho or Nevada or Colorado to buy their liquid medicines. But I rather suspect that people who are so inclined are already most likely doing that anyway.
I just think it is a continuation of the legislature's well known contempt for the sheeple of Utah showing through on this move. They really don't give a squat if the citizens are inconvenienced by anything they do, and if it has to do with liquor they are even more calloused and arrogant.
So bottoms up you fuzzy navel folks and off to Wyoming for a new supply, but don't drink it till your home and the car is safe in the garage.
Oz:
It may eat into revenues a little more than you think. To some extent, retail sales of hooch are related to convenience of access. The fewer stores, the longer people have to travel to buy, the greater inconvenience, the less often they're likely to go, particularly for impulse purchases. We have a People's Republic of Utah liquor store about four blocks from our house. We run out, or want a bottle of Andre's Finest to celebrate some surprise event, it's an easy matter to hop over and buy. If we had to drive to the store down by the tracks behind the mall, we wouldn't do it nearly so often. I know this, because what we spent on hooch went down when the close store was shut for renovation/expansion. We made fewer trips, many fewer, and so bought less.
So I wouldn't entirely discount the possibility of some decline in revenues. The Utah Taliban majority in the legislature is banking on the belief that the new reductions won't cross the line to decreased revenues by cutting sales significantly. Whether they're guessing right or not remains to be seen.
How many buy their liquor out of state and for friends? I had a good LDS co-worker buy my liquor from Costco in Las Vegas, saved almost $20 a bottle.
Just like the lottery tickets and gambling Utah looses millions from Utah residents going to the neighboring states for lottery and liquor.
When I was in Las Vegas and bought liquor the clerk ask if I was from Utah or Washington state.
It will be interesting on liquor sales stats in the coming years.
Upon arriving in Ogden nearly a decade ago now, I fell in with locals who shared some similar interests, and was quickly briefed on the best last place to load up on hooch on every highway coming into Utah from practically every direction. Proving the worth, I guess, of the old admonition on old road maps to "inquire locally."
Interesting article in Idaho Statesman today headlined: Meet the state monopoly Idaho leaders love: Retail liquor sales. Use the
link below:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/02/01/1509982/meet-the-state-monopoly-idaho.html
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