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Friday, November 04, 2011

County’s ‘Sweetheart Deal’ With Alcohol Illegal?

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Department of Liquor Control (DLC) may have made its first major error since seizing control of the county’s booze dispensary in July, and it could prove to be a costly one, despite what was called “good” intentions.


Reports earlier this week indicated the DLC was in negotiations with the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABCB) to purchase large quantities of liquor at a much lower price than it could get from wholesalers in Maryland.

Worcester County Public Information Officer Kim Moses confirmed this report in an email saying, “in representing the best interests of the licensees and the citizens, we negotiated a sweetheart deal with Alabama and took it.”

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for Worchester County. Buy where it's cheaper, sell it high. Finally a county government with someone with good business sense.

Unknown said...

Good business sense in MD? You're kidding.

MD raised the Alcohol tax and sales went down 10% because people shifted to DE for alcohol purchases. When they couldn't get the distributors to up their discount to make up for it, they went elsewhere (Alabama). Franchot realizes that the AL dealer didn't pay MD $200 for a license and queered the deal.

All they are doing is taking $175,000 that would normally go back into the local economy and sending it to AL. That's good business sense?

Anonymous said...

2:32
Government is not supposed to be in the "business" of profiteering from the citizens.

Government is supposed to "serve" the citizens.

It is the "selling high" that becomes problematic.

Anonymous said...

"Government is supposed to "serve" the citizens."

Hah!! Let me know if O'Malley spills any coffee when he brings it to you.

:^)

Anonymous said...

ATF can watch liquor stores in outline states like they do tobacco products.
Or make liquor prices in all states the same low prices.

Cerealposter said...

The question is why the government is still in control of liquor sales.....the free market system (you know where private businesses rather than government boards sell liquor) would result in better prices for everyone.It's ridiculous....People visiting the Eastern shore from elsewhere think it is pretty stupid that they have to buy beer and liquor at two different locations