There's a poll going on right now about the new LJ/FB interface thingie, and apparently LJ admin type folks are paying some kind of attention to it -
clickety Excellent letter detailing why the initiatives to privatize liquor sales in Washington are not a good thing -
clickety.
1. Plausible. May be manageable.
2. Might be worth it. Regressive sin taxes bother me.
3. The OFM analysis has been heavily debated, especially for the 1105 numbers. The claim that legislature will not replace the taxes with ANYTHING in five years strikes me as implausible. The OFM analysis also ignored the estimated $300 million in licensing costs expected to be generated over five years.
4. 1100 will not increase selection, but it's not supposed to. It's the Costco initiative. 1105 might enable specialty shops (like an Cap Hill absinth store). No one moderately-sized store may achieve the variety of the state system, but this would dramatically increase the variety available to consumers.
5. Also known as "sin tax". This is one of the reasons we are the most regressive state in the nation.
6. How does privatization result in a net loss of jobs? Isn't a single, monolithic system supposed to be more efficient?
7. So? Every minor I've known that has wanted to has been able to get booze, and much worse.
I'm mostly opposed to 1100 (the Costco-convenience one) because the economics involved would have ghastly consequences for craft breweries and bottle shops. 1105 repurposes the Liquor Control board to quality control, has more expensive licensing requirements for "qualified" resellers.
1100 is scary. It also seems to be the most likely one to pass, from the polls I've seen - and there's also the nightmare scenario where both pass.
Reply
Leave a comment