Froth Slosh B'Gosh

Dear Winter.....

To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell's heart, I stab at thee; For hate's  sake, I spit my last breath at thee.

It was -10 yesterday.  Its 34 today.  I'm grilling!

I'm Shocked! Shocked I Say!

Police raid Irish Centre, confiscate liqour.

BILL'S!!!

Yes, its BILL'S!  The legendary watering hole along the C&O Canal in Little Orleans!  I've fond, fond memories of this place from my backpacking days.  Always a good stop for supplies and a cool one.  The orginal store/bar burned down a number of years back, but they're still in business, catering to backpackers, bicyclists, canoers, fishers and the locals.

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Store?  Food? Pretty low-cost advertising.  What's that scratched into the concrete on the second picture?  Bills?

State House Passes Privatization Bill

And it misses the mark.

Under the house plan, the State Stores would be phased out, and 1,200 new liquor licenses will be offered, with beer distributors getting the first crack at them.  Grocery stores will be allowed to sell wine, but not beer, except in those locations that have a separate cafe section, thereby preserving the beer distributors.  Apparently, Harrisburg is more concerned with saving the jobs of beer distributors, but not the jobs of State Store employees.

Doesn't Harrisburg understand that the beer distributors are part of the problem???  I don't want to make a separate trip to the beer distributor, or have to buy beer by the case.

All I want to do is be able to buy beer and wine at the grocery store, without having to stand in a separate line.

Putting State Stores in the grocery was a nice first step, as was allowing stores with a separate cafe to sell six packs and single bottles, and while that's more convenient, its not convenient enough.

What Harrisburg should do is allow groceries to sell beer and wine directly, while as a compromise to State Store employees, reserve the sale of spirits to the state.  While there is an argument to be made that the state shouldn't be in the business of selling liquor at all, I think my suggestion is a good first step. 

State Store Statement

Governor Bought-And-Paid-For unveiled his plan to sell the State liquor stores and privatize the whole shebang...and few seem to like it, according to this P-G story.

Speaking for myself, why can't we open up the beer and wine markets, and leave the spirits in the State Stores? When Corbett says "a more mobile population was increasingly familiar with the convenience of private sales in other states" what he is failing to see is that other states we can buy beer and wine in the grocery store, and we can by six-packs of beer instead of cases, and if we want a six-pack, we won't pay an inflated "bar price."  Corbett's plan doesn't address the beer distributor issue, other than allowing them to sell quantities smaller than cases.

Under his plan, you'd be able to by hard liqour just about anywhere.  I don't think that's a very wise idea.  I think all we're really asking is that we don't have to make seperate stops at the grocery for dinner, the State Store for wine, and the beer disributor for some ballgame suds. 

Most states I'm familiar with do this very thing.  The state maintains control over distilled alcohol sales, while the groceries handle the beer and wine, and I think that's a reasonable compromise.

Thinking Of A Last Minute Gift?

If you are, I would like one of these.