The Daily Times reports that the Wicomico County Council will consider abolishing the Wicomico County Liquor Control Board. The bottom line is fairly simple. Is the principle of an efficient free market more important that the revenue received from selling beer, wine and liquor? The answer should be a resounding yes; unless you are County Executive Rick Pollitt ... or LCB member Ron Alessi.
Pollitt's position is unfortunately too typical. He wants to straddle the issue, but wants to keep the money earned from the liquor business. We'll discuss that again in a later post.
It seems that Alessi's position is a bit more strange. To Alessi, two wrongs make a right. Since (according to Alessi) the Civic Center, County nursing home, and Salisbury University compete against private enterprise then the Liquor Control Board should be able to compete against liquor distributors, liquor stores and convenience stores. Go figure.
I believe that the Civic Center is a bad example. For purposes of liability alone, it's not very wise to allow myriad private parties access to a county facility to prepare and/or provide food and drink. But the other two examples are valid. Does that mean that two wrongs make a right? Of course not. Perhaps Alessi believes that no action can be taken regarding the LCB unless action will be taken regarding the nursing home and SU. Does this make any sense?
After witnessing Alessi's thought processes regarding doing work for the LCB and whether or not government should compete against private enterprise I believe that we are fortunate that Alessi did not succeed in his bid to become the county's first County Executive.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, politics, Wicomico, Wicomico politics, Rick Pollitt, Ron Alessi, liquor, Liquor Control Board, culture, free market, private enterprise, taxation, fiscal policy
Pollitt's position is unfortunately too typical. He wants to straddle the issue, but wants to keep the money earned from the liquor business. We'll discuss that again in a later post.
It seems that Alessi's position is a bit more strange. To Alessi, two wrongs make a right. Since (according to Alessi) the Civic Center, County nursing home, and Salisbury University compete against private enterprise then the Liquor Control Board should be able to compete against liquor distributors, liquor stores and convenience stores. Go figure.
I believe that the Civic Center is a bad example. For purposes of liability alone, it's not very wise to allow myriad private parties access to a county facility to prepare and/or provide food and drink. But the other two examples are valid. Does that mean that two wrongs make a right? Of course not. Perhaps Alessi believes that no action can be taken regarding the LCB unless action will be taken regarding the nursing home and SU. Does this make any sense?
After witnessing Alessi's thought processes regarding doing work for the LCB and whether or not government should compete against private enterprise I believe that we are fortunate that Alessi did not succeed in his bid to become the county's first County Executive.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, politics, Wicomico, Wicomico politics, Rick Pollitt, Ron Alessi, liquor, Liquor Control Board, culture, free market, private enterprise, taxation, fiscal policy
12 comments:
GA you have hit the traget one more time! I certainly agree with you that Ron Alessi is control-nut and will do anything he feels will help his personal cause. We found his position of Chair for the Zoo Commission, which he has held for more than 20 years, I believe, to be of no consequence, since little is being done with our zoo and soon it will be time for the AZA inspections, which they are far from prepared for and refuse to follow AZA directions on the running of the facility. Hopefully, the new Zoo director can get things back in order down there, that is if Alessi wil allow him to do whats needed. I agree also, that free enterprise is the best mode of operation for the liquor store. It will create competion and perhaps lower prices as a result.
A. Goetz
I kinda figured the County would off set the loss of revenue from the current system by substituting a fee based licensing structure.
Where is the Liquor Board in all this would that be the proper oversight body to issue license to private business bar, restaurants, etc,?
As long as I have know about the liquor board it has been my thought it was a poor way to run a railroad. Turn it over to free enterprise and let that dog hunt.
Customer service is another issue which should improve with a change in systems. Although I will say the folks at the East Naylor Mill store are very friendly and helpful.
Joe
In your discussion about government competing against free enterprise, why is the civic center allowed to have alcohol at catered events. I was told that the deed did not allow the county to serve or sell alcohol on the property????????They are pulling catered events away from local business
If the dispensary would be disbanded, there would a liquor store on every corner in the County. Holdups and shoplifting would increase therefore a need for more police protection from either the WSO or SPD. Competition would bring lower prices (maybe?), therefore, the County would collect less taxes. Licensing would or should be very expensive to offset lost revenue. I can envision them being owned by Pakistanians, Chinese and Indians. Who else owns the convenience stores? They sell beer and wine, so throw in the alcohol. I agree with the comment about the employees at the Naylor Mill store being helpful and friendly. Guess what? They speak English!!
I'm finding it hard to believe the county take is only 400 K per annum.
I find it interesting that the county would control liquor boards because it leaves me to believe that the county likes to make money off of peoples substance abuse, and that is basically what they are doing, I guarantee that a large percentage of liquor store patrons have alcohol addition.
Government should not be in any business, none what so ever. All business should be within the free enterprise system.
Liquor Boards exist as the result of the Prohibition mentality. Government has NEVER been able to control the use or abuse of any substance desired by the population. It matters not if it is and alcoholic beverage or a narcotic substance. Where there is a demand there will always be a source.
Governments attempt to limit abuse of substances by law has done no real good. I would suggest that no more than 10% of all the alcohol produced in this country is consumed by alcoholics, so who drinks the rest, the social drinker.
Is there any reason to not believe that the same percentage also exist within the narcotic community. Less than 10% of the Narcotics produced or imported into the U.S. are consumed by the drug addict. The remaining 90% are used by individuals who either are not yet "hooked" or able to due drugs without the addiction.
Now the real bummer is that less than 10% of the illegal drugs smuggled into the U.S. are interdicted, and at what cost. There has to be a better way, but I admit I am not smart enough to know the cure or the solution. I am however wise enough to know what we are doing has never worked and will never work.
anonymous 1:31 Must be Ronnie (Bush) Alessi trying to instill some fear in the population. weak minds think like that. We got Mike Lewis to take care of robbers and thieves like you Ronnie. Shouldn't you be trying to hide diesel fuel or killing off some more birds or something? Can you imagine if he actually won county executive?
Something in a name, you know like a-LESS-i?
The alcohol at the civic center is BYOB events. NO ALCOHOL sales. If the county can afford to have over $500,000 stolen without anyone knowing, they will never miss the piddly ass amount of money the 3 stores bring to the county. Get over it. Kiss liquor sales good bye you creepy old fart.
The money colleted from the liquor stores amount to about .30% of the county budget, less than a half percent. Time to close up shop. It's more of a liability than a money maker, when someone sues the county for providing alcohol to someone who has already been drinking and they drive off and kill someone.
I do not beleive for one moment that only 10% of alcohol sales is from drunks, it would say more like 75-80%. Where did you get your numbers.
there is already liquor on almost every corner in the bury, they are called bars. An addict will be more likely to steal to get some crack than to steal for a bottle of Jack
trying to scare everyone will never work, what you should fear after the landfill scandal is people with their hands in that liquor pie
Let's see, A drunk State's Attorney, who doesn't reside in the county he represents, who willfully and knowingly broke several laws, including driving drunk with a loaded handgun next to him, and yall are worried about the LCB, which gives back money, and serves beverage alcohol responsibly.
Hmm, guess I'm in the minority, but here in North Carolina, the county's run the liquor stores, and there's no problem.
I guess, in yall's opinion, the county gov't should only be in businesses that lose money. As soon as it is profitable, Stevie Prettyman and Joe Holloway should be the owners, so they can take all the profits.
Would someone please call them out on their true motive. Joe Holloway (full disclosure: a very distant cousin of mine, but it's the shore, so who isn't a distant cousin) absolutely will have a liquor store next to his general store in Parsonsburg.
And how many convenience stores have been cited numerous times for serving underage? How many times at the dispensaries? If the liquor stores are privatized, it's a guarantee that they will serve a lot more underage people!
B.C. in N.C.
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