Last Thursday we were treated to a marvelous op-ed in the Daily Times (you may open a PDF here) by Justin Collis, General Manager of the Wicomico County liquor dispensary system. His argument is so persuasive that it is imperative that our County Council dig deeper into the WCLCB's affairs rather than reduce their efforts.
Mr. Collis is under the delusion that restaurant owners, bar owners, and those of us who choose to partake of distilled spirits somehow owe him and the other employees of the WCLCB a job:
Mr. Collis also makes the false claim that taxes will have to be raised to make up for lost revenue IF the dispensary system reverts to private enterprise. Higher licensing fees should more than make up for any lost revenue from closing the WCLCB.
Of course Collis continues his argument with no evidence to back it up. In the world of Mr. Collis "we are in need of more than $1 million to balance the county budget." It's strange; I was at the council meeting where the budget was passed and I was sure that they passed a balance budget. Sure, Rick Pollitt wants to spend more money; so does the Board of Education. In fact, every government department wants to spend more. That doesn't mean that we can, nor should. It certainly doesn't mean that the Wicomico County budget is somehow $1 million out of balance simply because Justin Collis imagines that it is.
Of course, what can we expect from someone who actually uses a term like "$400,000 of free money". There's no such thing. As we all know, someone (or some group) ALWAYS pays.
My personal favorite statement in Justin's Adventures in Wonderland is his assertion that the dispensary system returns $400,000 to taxpayers AND that this is a 58% increase over the last five years.
As noted in a previous post, FY 2003 was the last time that the WCLCB forwarded over $400,000 to the taxpayers. Since then we have seen a precipitous drop of over 37%:
Now we don't know how much will be coming in THIS fiscal year (the year isn't over yet). I'm quite sure that they are trying hard to get over that $400,000 hurdle.
It doesn't matter. There will be revenue to replace it when we finally wave goodbye to this antiquated system. Perhaps Mr. Collis can take up practicing law in Salisbury City Attorney Paul Wilber's firm. His grasp of the truth would certainly serve the Tilghman administration well.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Mr. Collis is under the delusion that restaurant owners, bar owners, and those of us who choose to partake of distilled spirits somehow owe him and the other employees of the WCLCB a job:
"I find it disappointingly amazing that a few people in the community would like to put 30 people out of work in this economy..."No Mr. Collis, I bear no ill will to you or the other who work at the WCLCB. That said, what is the basis of your claim that we somehow owe you employment?
Mr. Collis also makes the false claim that taxes will have to be raised to make up for lost revenue IF the dispensary system reverts to private enterprise. Higher licensing fees should more than make up for any lost revenue from closing the WCLCB.
Of course Collis continues his argument with no evidence to back it up. In the world of Mr. Collis "we are in need of more than $1 million to balance the county budget." It's strange; I was at the council meeting where the budget was passed and I was sure that they passed a balance budget. Sure, Rick Pollitt wants to spend more money; so does the Board of Education. In fact, every government department wants to spend more. That doesn't mean that we can, nor should. It certainly doesn't mean that the Wicomico County budget is somehow $1 million out of balance simply because Justin Collis imagines that it is.
Of course, what can we expect from someone who actually uses a term like "$400,000 of free money". There's no such thing. As we all know, someone (or some group) ALWAYS pays.
My personal favorite statement in Justin's Adventures in Wonderland is his assertion that the dispensary system returns $400,000 to taxpayers AND that this is a 58% increase over the last five years.
As noted in a previous post, FY 2003 was the last time that the WCLCB forwarded over $400,000 to the taxpayers. Since then we have seen a precipitous drop of over 37%:
Now we don't know how much will be coming in THIS fiscal year (the year isn't over yet). I'm quite sure that they are trying hard to get over that $400,000 hurdle.
It doesn't matter. There will be revenue to replace it when we finally wave goodbye to this antiquated system. Perhaps Mr. Collis can take up practicing law in Salisbury City Attorney Paul Wilber's firm. His grasp of the truth would certainly serve the Tilghman administration well.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
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10 comments:
Doing away with the system will not only reap more profits for restaurants and bars, who will pay more taxes and maybe even be able to afford benefits for their employees.
The citizens that live here would also save another half a million dollars that they throw at a government entity to use for wasteful spending, that they could be spending at other private businesses in the area.
It's time to let the citizens out of the dark, and let some sunshine in the process.
The stores minimum markup is 25% on half gallons. Smaller bottles are structured where the smaller the bottle, the more the markup like many bussinesses. With $4,000,000 in sales yearly that should come out to $1,000,000 at minimum going into the county general fund.
I don't understand why the County Council is being kept in the dark concerning the financial reports of the WCLCB. Shouldn't this information be available to the taxpayers also?
i dont know, but you go down there and get ya some jim beam and youll have ya a buzz.
Instead of concentrating ONLY on Wicomico County,how about an investigative report on the OTHER counties in Maryland with the dispensary system?I do not think there are many but almost all the Eastern Shore counties are this way.Does anyone look into any of them?You might be suprised.How does the 3 tier system work for other counties?
I feel it is past time to drop this antiquated system of liquor sales and let the open market deal with it. I also think we need a deep, no holds barred, look into the books of the LCB for the past few years. Hopefully, nothing will be found, but that's not reason enough not to make the needed changes.
A. Goetz
theres gotta be a couple cold ones left down in the bottom.
Anon 1207 -
If I'm not mistaken there are only three counties left in Maryland with a dispensary system:
Wicomico
Somerset
Montgomery
While I find your idea intriguing, my hands are pretty full just trying to find out info about the Wicomico County LCB.
Add Wocester county to that list, there are only 4 county's in the state using the antiquated system that was outdated with the end of prohibition in the 1930's. Also there is one major distributor (Seagrams)I believe that will not sell directly to retailers here, only because it's a three tier system right now, end government liquor and they will have no choice.
Montgomery
Somerset
Wicomico
Wocester
ending couty liquor sales will increase jobs. 30 employees isn't much, the competition will provide way more than 30 jobs the county claims to have according to justice colon
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