Government run liquor stores in PA may soon be a thing of the past

[The Straight Story]

LCB's epic run might be near end
Some say that selling the system may net $2 billion. Corbett strongly favors it.

By Angela Couloumbis

Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG - For nearly 80 years, the government-run liquor store in Pennsylvania born after Prohibition has been nothing if not a survivor.

It has dodged multiple assassination attempts by three aggressive and popular governors. It has weathered a torrent of complaints, criticism, and scorn by its patrons. Yet no one has been able to write its obituary.

But 2011 may usher in a different outcome for the state Liquor Control Board and the 620 wine and spirits stores it runs: Gov.-elect Tom Corbett appears committed to yanking state government out of the business of selling alcohol once and for all.

And unlike those before him who have tried - and tried - but failed, Corbett advocates privatizing the stores to help balance the state's cash-starved budget, which next year faces an estimated $4 billion deficit. Some Republicans estimate that auctioning off the system could rake in a cool $2 billion.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20101219_LCB_s_epic_run_might_be_near_end.html

[JVS]

1. The system brings in a steady stream of revenue. Selling it will only benefit corrupt cronies

[enough]

2. As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I would find it strange to buy booze at an establishment that

did not have the atmosphere of a methadone clinic.

[NoPasaran]

4. You win the thread!

:rofl:

[onethatcares]

8. true story here.

while in your fair state on funeral business I went to Hooters on a sunday and asked to buy a 12 pack of Budweiser. I may as well have asked for a lap dance cause no one understood what I meant.

Yeah, I'm used to going into neighborhood drug stores/grocery stores/gas stations/bars/and every other venue you can imagine for my fix. Those state stores are weird.

[TorchTheWitch]

26. bars can only carry 6 packs - you can buy a maximum of 2

There's your "12 pack". They probably looked at you like you were crazy because you can't buy a 12 pack in a bar since they aren't allowed to carry them. Which is really rather stupid since you can buy a maximum of 2 six packs.

Being from PA I would find it really weird to be able to buy alcohol in just any damn store. I like the government liquor stores. There's plenty of them, the prices are pretty much all the same regardless of which store you go to, and PA gets a LOT of state money from them. I'd far rather the state got that money than a private business.

I think the beer distributor stores are private though. Not sure about that since I don't buy it. But maybe if they're called beer distributors they aren't private. Or something. I also never understood why the beer distributors had to be separate from the liquor stores.

[Odin2005]

29. Here in Minnesota you can only get booze in bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and wine shops.

No booze in grocery stores or gas stations here. I used to be confused as a kid by TV commercial showing a guy buying a 12-pack Bid Light at a gas station or grocery store for that reason.

[TorchTheWitch]

42. are the beer stores separate from the liquor/wine stores?

and are they government run or private? Can you buy six packs of beer in a bar and is there a limit to how many you can buy?

My first experience with seeing booze in regular store was when we took a trip to Florida and somewhere along the route we stopped to get groceries and do laundry. I was so shocked to see they had booze I was afraid that us kids would have to go wait out in the RV like there was an age restriction to be in the grocery store like a bar has. LOL!

[Odin2005]

45. Not seperate, private.

And you can't buy 6-packs in bars, at least the bars I've bin at.

[ladywnch]

10. I agree. It was really awkward when I moved away. ..... and PERFECT analogy! n/t

[tularetom]

3. So after they blow the $2 billion they sell it for

And they can no longer count on the revenue they used to receive from the sales, WTF are they going to sell off next?

Very bad trend IMO.

[PhillySane]

6. Probably More Casino Licenses

[demodonkey]

9. Well, Ed Rendell tried to sell the PA Turnpike (or rent it away for decades)...

...maybe Corbett will try selling the Pike off again.

[formercia]

27. It's all part of the privatization of State entities

Just like the IMF forced Argentina and a lot of other countries to do. At least we could get a loan from the IMF first.

[tularetom]

37. In other words if we're gonna get screwed we should at least get kissed first

[backscatter712]

5. Good for them, Pennsylvania deserves real liquor stores. n/t

[JVS]

11. PLCB is a good store and has better selection than most private stores.

http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/product_management/Files/productCatalog.PDF

[TorchTheWitch]

33. I know a lot of people from NJ and DE that come to PA for that reason

... they can't find the obscure booze they're looking for anywhere but PA. I worked with a woman from DE that always bought her special dessert wine she liked here because she can't find it in DE or NJ. Can't remember what it was but I thought it was terrible... so dark it was almost black and nearly as thick as cough syrup. I can't understand why she liked it so much. Sickly sweet. Blech!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

44. That looks like a description of port wine

by some philistine differently-tasted individual who doesn't like port wine.

[TommyO]

38. Having lived in PA, and having dealt with their state stores, it wasn't all that bad.

The selection at the Premium Selection Stores was very good, and the prices were cheaper than from the private stores here in NJ.

What's even better is that the employees (at least at the time) were state employees with retirement, benefits and more. This is just more of the same damned race for the bottom that we can't sustain as a nation.

[brewens]

7. Voters rejected that in Washington state. I'm glad they did but

I have been disgusted with a few things about the Idaho liquor stores where I live. Mainly, two of the most worthless people I knew worked there and made good money. No way they could have survived at a retail store. They spent about half of their time just standing around and dusting bottles. Those places were overstaffed. I suppose the reasoning was they needed to get their hours during slow times, and had to be able to meet demand during rush periods after five and holidays.
Both of those guys had to make it through a part time period too, before they were eligible for full time and there was an opening. It was no problem for them, they were both guys in their 30's still living at home. That was another thing that pissed me off. Being a guy that was already working full time, I couldn't quit my job and go to work there part time. I was a taxpayer, but basically wasn't eligible to get a full time job there.
Sick leave was another thing. Toward the end of the year, it was a mad scramble for those guys to take turns calling in sick, to use up all of their sick leave. They "had to use it or they would lose it." Sorry but, they were already overpaid and under worked. They already had fair vacation benefits. If you are not sick you are supposed to lose it! That's why it's called sick leave!
I'm just a few days away from going the entire year at the blood center where I work without missing a day. Partly luck, partly being tough but mostly not being a lazy ass that calls in sick to get a free paid day off. I do get to convert a week of my sick leave into paid vacation though, for not missing a day:)

[Occulus]

12. The irony of your final sentence makes me want to

:puke:

[brewens]

17. yeah right! This is the first time I've made it in four years. In those

four years though I've had to call in a total of maybe 5 days. The rules the way the company set things up say I get to covert 40 of my 312 available sick leave hours into paid vacation. Not the same as phony calling in sick to rip off your company or taxpayers.

[shraby]

13. That's a State racket beyond what is being noted here.

The State sells the liquor to people, and makes laws against people drinking too much of it at once. Neat! Get money in the coffers for the liquor, then get money from fines and jail time for blowing too high on the drunk-0-meter.

[mentalsolstice]

14. It's always interesting when I visit PA

I have to go to one place to buy my groceries, another to buy wine or liquor, and yet another to buy beer. At least here I can buy my wine or beer with my groceries, medications, or gasoline.

[Bunny]

31. That's my biggest problem with the PA system.

It's too goddamned much running around for everything. They need to start selling booze in the supermarkets, then I could get everything done in one stop. The State Store hours are inconvenient and they're closed for every goddamned holiday you can think of, too.

[JVS]

32. I like it because I don't want to wait behind shoppers with a week worth of groceries...

when I'm getting my liquor. I'm in and out in a few minutes and the people at the liquor store actually know a bit about the merchandise so I can ask them for info.

[Bunny]

34. Well, you could always use the express lane. You know? Ten items or less?

That's what I do when I'm only picking up a few things.

[JVS]

35. I like the liquor store better. Even though I live outside of PA now, I still buy my liquor at a...

the liquor store because it's a cheaper and easier to just go to the store where that's the specialty.

[Bunny]

36. Okay. I hate the state store system and I live in PA. I don't have an

alternative.

[SoCalNative]

15. I never could understand having to go to a special store to buy booze

In CA you can buy all liquor at the supermarket 7 days a week.

[The Straight Story]

16. Yep, when I lived in Bakersfield they had it at gas stations, walgreens, etc (nt)

[Odin2005]

30. That's not allowed in MN, so that always floored me when I saw it in Bud commercials!

You can't get booze at grocery stores and gas stations, here.

[PhillySane]

18. where do you get pot scripts?

[kestrel91316]

20. We can only buy marijuana at marijuana dispensaries, and most of

them have been forced to close by NIMBY's in the city council here in LA.

[Hawkeye-X]

43. State law here calls for 35 days waiting period

the day you mail in your certified letter to CDPH is when you begin counting down the 35 days before you can legally buy bud. Fortunately, I found a store that was willing to backdate the time difference. Gave them plenty of business too.

I've moved on to other locations to make my buy. It's interesting though, on what kind of varieties they have here in Colorado. Unfortunately, I cannot use my MMJ license in Nevada or California. I'd have to apply *THERE* to get the license.. but I usually can go days without bud.

As far as liquor goes, we used to have blue laws which was repealed two years ago (or so), now we sell liquor everyday just about everywhere.

[backscatter712]

24. In Colorado, they let you buy 3.2 beer & wine coolers in grocery stores.

To get real alcohol, you have to go to a liquor store.

Though I'm not complaining much - a lot of the liquor stores have much better variety than any grocery store's willing to keep in inventory.

Some of the liquor stores are as big as grocery stores, with countless varieties of wines, beers (including the really good, but less-well-known craft beers) and hard liquors. Some of the really expensive stuff too.

[HopeHoops]

19. Unlinkely. Sure Corbett's an asshole and wants to sell out to his rich buddies, however...

The state stores are a major cash cow for the state. A one-time bump from the sale would become a fleeting memory in three years. All Corbett cares about are his corporate sponsors.

[PhillySane]

21. The bill they are proposing

was written by the (R) House Majority Leader and in effect will most likely try to give control of the entire business here in PA to 10 large players (there's a 10% ownership restriction clause). But, what will be the most damaging is they are trying to do the same with wholesale licenses. Right now, it's very easy to obtain one in PA. If this law passes, they will auction these off to the highest bidders, and only the richest, biggest distributors will be able to get one. More than likely, this will mean a limited selection of product, since most of the smaller distributors and importers supply the bulk of representation for small wineries from around the world. So, yes, they want to hand over control to the big boys. The little guys probably won't have enough cash to even buy a license. And, that will mean fewer jobs on the wholesale end as well.

[HopeHoops]

22. Shitty service, higher prices, and no consistency in cost between stores.

It is just part of Corbett's debt to his corporate sponsors. He's about the slimiest thing PA has ever seen.

On Edit: I've been in stores in other states in recent years and PA's prices are easily the lowest with our state-run stores.

[Nye Bevan]

23. Allow anyone to sell booze, including supermarkets

Works in Nevada, New Mexico, West Virginia and South Dakota. Why not everywhere?

[Withywindle]

46. Illinois too, or at least Chicago.

Pick up some whiskey or vodka as part of your weekly grocery run? No problem. There are a few hours in the dead of night and early morning on Sunday that you can't buy it, but that's not a very big hurdle to get around.

I remember the state ABC stores in Virginia, though. Pain in the ass - they're only open 9 to 5 or so. I had great big culture shock when I went to college in Ohio and saw my first drive-thru liqor store.

[distantearlywarning]

25. Current PA resident here.

Used to live in Arizona, where pretty much anything goes as far as the liquor laws. In my hometown, there was a drive-thru combo liquor/bait/ammo store. This was so commonplace as to be not worth commenting on. I remember walking down to the local corner store as a college student, and half the store was devoted to alcoholic beverages, from Budweiser to top shelf exotic liquors.

Then I moved to PA, where you can't even go to the grocery store and buy a six pack to go with your steaks. Where if you want beer AND a bottle of wine with your steak dinner you have to go to three different places which are in three different areas of town. And you can't even buy a fucking six pack at the beer store - you have to buy a WHOLE FUCKING CASE of beer! Even if you just want 6 beers.

It's completely ridiculous and horrible.

I didn't vote for Corbett, and I'm not even that big a drinker, but I fully support his actions on this issue. Pennsylvania liquor laws are unbelievably stupid and need to go away, like yesterday. If I never have to cart an entire case of beer home from halfway to BFE again, it will be too soon.

[RB TexLa]

28. Really? The state runs the only liquor stores? We thought Texas was weird because they don't have

liquor for sell at gas stations and there are times of the night you can't buy it.

[Kievan Rus]

39. I'm from Pennsylvania and think it's beyond time for this

I don't like Tom Corbett all that much, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[WinkyDink]

41. Exactly how are you NOT benefitted by the lower prices in our State Stores?

[WinkyDink]

40. As a Democrat, I can't hope for the loss of those union jobs. As a Pennsylvanian, I can't support

the "penny wise, pound foolish" effect. to wit: For a $2B one-time payment, the state will forever lose $500M per annum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In fiscal year 2009-10, the state store system generated more than $383 million in revenue in state liquor taxes, and state and local sales taxes. It also transferred another $105 million in "profits" to the state treasury.

"All that money is undesignated," said Joseph Conti, CEO of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. "It just keeps taxes down."

The system also contributed more than $25 million to local municipalities, state police liquor enforcement and Department of Health drug and alcohol programs, and spent in excess of $4 million on alcohol education.
Read more: http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/318187#ixzz18cHUVUet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't think PA has enough wine connosieurs to merit this REPUBLICAN PRIVATIZING GOAL.

[and-justice-for-all]

47. "Government run liquor stores " Never heard of such a thing...nt

:shrug: