As someone who has lived in Pennsylvania, and also in a state with some of the most lax liquor laws (Missouri), I do think it’s a little ridiculous that you have to go to three different stores to get your party goods.
But yeah… Corbett is a schmuck.
pretty sure #patronizingBTlady would vote for him
It’s not fair to say that no one likes Corbett. The oil and gas industry loves him.
Seconded.
Maybe she just needs a timer for her stove!
(an ad from 1920, showing how dated this guy’s opinions are)
The link said it was from 1839.
That was the best argument he could come up with? Seriously?
He’s a Republican and he didn’t just go with, “The government shouldn’t be operating retail stores”? No trying to link it to Obama and soshulizm (despite it existing for a long time before Obama)? None of that? Okeydoke, then.
No, seriously, liquor stores in PA are run by the state government. I used to work with a gal from PA who would go on about how liberal Illinois is, but then she dropped that bomb on me.
They were in WA too, until 2011.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2016720231_elexliquor09m.html
Speaking of Republican Governors…
No mention of Bob McDonnell and his tremendously amusing defense for his corruption trial, and interesting new living arrangements?
It’s nice of Corbett to remind us – as those who forget history are doomed to repeat it – that back in those halcyon years, a bottle of wine or a six-pack (or two!) was the only way many housewives were able to get through each miserable day.
In every Canadian province except Alberta, it’s the same - liquor stores run by the province, where the staff are unionized and get benefit packages and a living wage and whatnot.
Moving to Alberta, that was a bit disorienting to me - what do you mean you have to comparison shop for booze? There are a ton more liquor stores here, each one open later, much smaller, and with a smaller selection at about the same price as a Saskatchewan liquor store. If more people show up for dinner than you expected, you can always pop round the corner for an extra case of beer, but you’ve only got a few choices as to what kind, and the clerks are much less likely to be motivated to help you find something.
Yeah, the link is wrong. If you click through to that edition of the Saturday Evening Post, the actual publish date was in 1920.
The image is from that massive archive.org image dump that was linked earlier today. I guess automated submission let some errors get through.
Virginia is the same way. State run ABC stores make a ton of money for Richmond. Luckily our blue laws aren’t quite as ridiculous as some of our neighbors and grocery stores can still sell beer and wine.
Still, I go down to visit my parents in New Orleans and WalMart has vodka in the checkout aisle. And if you really want you can stop by a drive through daiquiri place on the way home.
Virginia’s ABC stores aren’t too terrible at least. There is a good number of them around where I live, although they clearly are under no pressure to compete on price they do still have regular sales. Selection can be kind of iffy though, and I think they’re still barred from selling anything over a certain proof.
I’m a PA resident and I’m very conflicted about our state store system.
Pros:
- Provides a living wage with benefits and pensions to a bunch of retail employees.
- The PLCB is one of the largest bulk purchasers of alcohol in the world, so prices are very reasonable
- Reasonably functional website that lets you figure out the availability of a particular bottle without driving all over town
- Has a fairly large amount of unusual/expensive stuff at a central warehouse and will special-order it to the liquor store of your choice
- The “buy up to 12 beers in a restaurant and carry out, or buy full cases at beer distributors” part of the policy props up a lot of small breweries- even in large cities elsewhere in the country you can’t find a lot of micros by the case.
Cons:
- If something isn’t available through the PLCB, it isn’t available at all. Unless you smuggle in your booze from New Jersey (for Philly residents) or Ohio (for Pittsburgh residents). Some wonderful specialty stores such as Moore Brothers just across the bridge in NJ owe their existence to this policy, but residents of central PA are out of luck.
- Liquor store jobs are patronage jobs, and the less of those that exist the better.
- This system seems inexorably tied to really stingy issuance of liquor licenses to restaurants. Which results in lots of places being BYOB, but then you’re at the mercy of whatever the closest state store stocks unless you planned ahead.
I think the balance is on the pro side, though.
A lot of the women want to go and buy a bottle of wine for dinner, go down, buy a six-pack or two six-packs...
I do like a bottle of wine before I go down, and a six pack after isn’t bad, but 2 is pushing it.
Couple more for the Con side. I have never brought so many corked bottles of wine as I have in PA. As they don’t store the wine properly and then off load the vintage in the stores where idiots like me think they are getting a bargain on a 6 year old wine. Secondly its hard to find the same wine twice. They have a big range of uncommon wines which makes it hard to find some of the cheaper good low cost labels and on the off chance you liked the wine you will never see it again.
In my experience the prices are not cheaper than some of the other states I’ve lived in.
BTW its real annoying to arrive at at what turns out to be a BYOB restaurant when there is no state store near by or it is already shut.
If someone can recommend places in Ohio similar to Moore Brothers I’m all ears. When I lived in Philly I went over to NJ for some reason and stopped at some liquor store just of a main road and was blown aware by the spirits selection. I filled the car with obscure European schnapps, apple brandy’s etc and was happy for many months.
I think the balance is on the con side and would be happy to pay more for more choice and still have the stores pay a living wage at a minimum.
Definitely not 1839, anyway, going by the clothes.
I’m sure a lot of women would prefer “one-stop shopping.” I know a lot of men would. At least he didn’t say, “…a lot of servants…” It really is a pain to get a six-pack in PA if you work nights.
