Who isn't ready for a shot of good economic news? Good being a relative term?
If nothing else, booze is a growth sector in the Idaho economy. According to Jared S. Hopkins of the Times-News in Twin Falls, liquor sales are up 8.5 percent from a year ago.
And no, consumers aren't drinking to the health of the economy. As Twin Falls bar owner Dave Woodhead told Hopkins: "Everybody's totally depressed. Gasoline is $4. What's to be happy about?"
Hmm. I started out feeling better, now I feel a little worse. Sometimes the bottle does that.
One thing's for sure: When liquor sales go up, the profits pour into a range of programs. The state's general fund received nearly $9.6 million in profits in 2006-07. Cities and counties shared nearly $23.9 million. Community colleges get a $300,000 share. The courts received $2.3 million; drug and family courts receive a 2 percent surcharge on liquor sales.
We can debate — soberly, of course — the public policy logic of government-controlled liquor stores in a generally conservative free-market state. But as long as so many government entities get a nip from the liquor profits (money that only seems to increase during hard times) don't expect to see any momentum for privatizing liquor sales.
Click here to read more about the state's liquor dispensary.
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I'll drink to that!
Private Booze
Those same government agencies can still get the same tax revenue with privatizing the liquor. The liqour taxes are collected at the wholesale level so it's easy to keep that tax base constant. Then the private retailers can sell for whatever price they want, WHENEVER they want, and where they want.
The only thing holding Idaho from privatizing the liquor is the LDS stranglehold on the legislature.
Mormons? What up? part deux and a quarter.
I've never really met the uptight LDS trying to kill politicians.
Are you CERTAIN Idaho isn't a Jack Mormon state? It has to be like Judaism in that there are a lot more relaxed Jews than Hasidic/Orthodox.
confusion
Actually, a number of states besides Idaho have a state monopoly on liquor sales. Washington State, at least as of about 15 years ago, had such a monopoly. I think Oregon had something similar at one time in the 1970s. Some Eastern states have substantial restrictions as well.
What a lot of people don't want to hear is that alcohol has substantial social costs associated with it. Most people drink responsibly, but those that don't produce enormous grief: high rates of murder; rape; aggravated assault; child abuse; drunk driving accidents; industrial accidents; even economic crimes such as burglary and robbery are disproportionately committed by drunks. Why? Because alcohol reduces inhibitions--and there are a lot of people whose inhibitions keep them civilized.
Is a state monopoly the right solution to this problem? I'm not sure. I'm not keen on the government being in the monopoly business, but in other states, the government regulates private liquor sales with a similar intent. One of the recurring complaints from liberal Democrats in California's black ghettos is what they perceive as an excess of liquor stores--and they work aggressively to use the state's existing liquor store licensing scheme to keep the number of these stores down. They perceive (and I think correctly) that the availability of alcohol contributes to the problems of the ghetto. You can tell when you are crossing into a black section of Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Oakland, simply by looking at the billboards--which are suddenly peddling alcohol, especially distilled alcohol.
Free Booze!
This comes from the Dispensary's Annual Report:
Idaho’s system of liquor control provides benefits to all of Idaho’s citizens. Moderation and temperance in control
states generally reduce social costs associated with alcohol consumption. Additionally, Idaho law provides for the distribution of liquor profits to State programs, 44 counties and 200 cities. Over the last decade $254 million was distributed to state programs, counties
and cities.
******
Benefits? BS!
Moderation and temperance? Oh, so the drunk bums are benefitted by moderation and control by the state...
If we employ the people who sell booze rather than let private
business operate the liquor stores, we can pay benefits too. That doesn't take away from profits, does it? Let's see, alcohol impairs judgement, that's why we have laws against driving over .08. There's no way to determine when we hit the magic number telling us when enough is too much, .08. No wait, you can tell when you're .06 or was it .07 but still under .08, I don't know, I can't remember. Maybe that's how all those people keep getting arrested for the same offense at .25 or was it .17, or .32.
How much does it cost to house someone, in the big house, $55 a day? zyxw, I learned it from the other end, how am I suppose to say it backwards with you shining that light in my eyes & waving things back & forth like that?
I'm just trying to support the economy & now the people have to feed me & provide health care. I've known people who were professonal inmates, it's easy, & they had benefits. Like illegal immigrants they have it better than working stiffs, more affordable health care. Why drink responsibly when the more irresponsible you are the more benfits you get? Keep it up & you'll get elected, retirement & a fine salary.
What is the difference between an inmate & a politician? A drunk politician is Governor & a drunk driver pays his salary. I wonder what Otter blew? I wonder what Dick Cheney blew either of the two times he was busted driving drunk. Bet he never drove drunk again, shot a lawyer or two in his day but never drove under the influence again. Maybe that's why we're in Iraq, Cheney took a wrong turn & Dubya was passed out in the back seat. Poor White House trash? Wasn't that the joke Cheney was all about? Oh yea, just poor white trash. What's the difference? One drives drunk, the other shoots his lawyer? Like the joke about a bus full of lawyers at the bottom of the river, it's a good start?
I'm getting thirsty.
I'd be tired of drinking by now if I hadn't QUIT in 1992...