Governor McDonnell’s ABC privatization plan is meeting with some obstacles within the Republican party. Many folks are digging their heels in and saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” According to the Richmond Times Dispatch:
Del. R. Lee Ware Jr. is a political conservative standing on principle in the debate over whether to get Virginia out of the liquor business.
But he’s standing on a different principle than Gov. Bob McDonnell, who says the state has no business selling distilled spirits through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
“The control of the sale of alcoholic beverages is a legitimate function of state government in serving the public good,” said David A. Bovenizer IV, spokesman for Ware, R-Powhatan. “Consequently, the free-market assertion regarding privatization of ABC is at best secondary to the common good.”
Bovenizer said Ware also regards the governor’s projections of state revenue from a private liquor industry as “unpersuasive” and the sale of the liquor monopoly unnecessary to raise money for road improvements, given the findings of a recent state audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation.
It isn’t surprising that Republicans cannot agree. One needs to think about exactly who we are speaking of. Let’s consider Old Republicans and New Republicans. OR and NRs. ORs are simply Old Democrats who were the people who voted Democratic regardless of who ran. They were the old left overs from Reconstruction.
The Old Republicans who were old Democrats also wanted to regulate booze. Confused yet? So at the end of Prohibition, they put their plan into action and that is where it is today. Our state ABC Stores have grown out of very conservative values in the state. Virginia had strong feelings about liquor and they wanted to be in control.
So as McDonnell goes about the state trying to sell his plan, he is running in to some serious opposition. He should not be surprised. The Old Dominion does not roll over for change very easily. McDonnell is coming across like a carpetbagger. He is from Northern Virginia. Remember, Northern Virginia isn’t even real Virginia–not in the eyes of the rest of the state. And finally, money talks. $250 million dollars profit is hard to beat.
McDonnell needs to find a new hobby.
NoVa may not be the “real Virginia” to some in the Commonwealth, but those Good Old Boys certainly do like the color of our money!
Indeed they do!
“The control of the sale of alcoholic beverages is a legitimate function of state government in serving the public good,” said David A. Bovenizer IV, spokesman for Ware, R-Powhatan. “Consequently, the free-market assertion regarding privatization of ABC is at best secondary to the common good.”
His statement seems to assume that privatization will discontinue state control over alcohol. This is disingenuous. He seems to say that the state is supposed to protect us through “this control.” How is being the pusher of a drug, protecting us?
McDonnell is making this to complicated. Just close the ABC stores and sell them to the highest bidders. Let the market decide how many ABC licenses there will be instead of the “1000” that I keep reading about.
That assumes that Virginia pushes booze which it does not.
You know, the stores aren’t his to sell. This is beginning to sound more and more like government take-over. The entire issue should have gone to referendum. This makes me sick!
I have heard from several people sick at heart about the arm-twisting going on at the group endorsement level. I, too. wish it was something we as individuals could vote on.
@Moon-howler
No, I understand that they are not “his” to sell. I’m just saying that he should simplify his plan that has to be approved by the delegates. If its going to be just more of the same favor swapping and influence peddling, leave it as it is, until we get someone principled to sell them.
I don’t know why this booze situation sickens me so but I really do take it personally, as a life-long Virginian. I feel like McDonnell is trying to swoop in and stamp out my heritage.
I can’t see selling the stores for a windfall profit and losing annual income that schools and mental health facilities have come to count on.
if the market was allowed to really work as ‘free market principles’ – they why would there be a limit (cap) on the number of licenses? Why would there be a need for licenses at all? And then, where would the money come from to add to our transportation fund? Currently, a mom-n-pop shop can shell out $120 (http://www.abc.virginia.gov/licensing/liccost.htm) and sell beer, but to sell the hard stuff, they will have to shell out $100,000 – hardly anywhere near being free market. What is going to happen, is that we are going to have a few big boys (Costco, BJ’s, Giant, etc) buying up the licenses, and then will suffer with increasing costs (to recoup the initial license fee) and the ABC prices will look like a bargain.
The distributors are going to be the ones with the real control over spirits with privatization. They will be delivering to those with the consistantly big orders first, and the mom and pop shops ordering smaller quantities will be the ones that will get the real shaft. I’ve NEVER seen the Va. ABC Package store sold out of any types of spirits. People will have to go from shop to shop looking for their spirit of choice in the remote areas. Of course, Franklin County won’t be effected too much as they make their own down there.
@Lafayette My husband is totally against privatization. He likes the friendly, helpful and knowledgeable service in the ABC stores, and he feels that supplies in the big stores like Costco will be limited to only the most popular brands that sell quickly, and not to some of the perhaps higher-quality specialty brands. I guess I’m not such a connoisseur.
I agree with MR. Emma. Please don’t tell him I called him that. PLEASE!
Most states that switched to privatization have said they are sorry they did and that it has brought in crime.
To me, it kills the story of my grandmother going in to the ABC store in Staunton and ordering a 4th of 5 roses by mistake. She never lived it down. Every time she went in the STATE ABC store for the next 40 years they said, a 4th of 5 Roses coming right up, Mrs. B.
@Emma
Ah, Moon took the words from my keyboard “Mr. Emma”. I know I wouldn’t want my husband to know anyone called him Lord Lafayette. He hates the fact that I use my maiden name as it is. I’m completely against privatization and have wrote about it numerous times as you know. I just don’t want The Commonwealth to have similar liquor practices of the Free State of Maryland. I’m a Virginian to the core, and can’t imagine going anywhere but the ABC Package store for spirits.
@ Lafayette and Emma
Maybe Mr. Emma should be Earl Emma? Better ring to it? Lord Lafayette will never know.
I don’t care if we become like Maryland or West Virginia. I just want to retain our own traditions. My feelings have nothing to do with other states. Its all about what I expect from Virginia.
Refresher course on Virginia ABC
http://www.abc.virginia.gov/admin/hist1.htm
Liquor stores are just crass compared to VA ABC Stores. They also don’t have the profit that VA does.
What is motivating McDonnell? Why does he want to ruin things? I simply don’t understand this.
Moon, I think you misunderstand my statement regarding MD. My point is we are Virginia and we don’t need be changing OUR traditions. What’s broken with the current system that we need privatization?
We’ve had the discussions at my house on this issue. We continue to ask what’s the motiviation? Remember, this Moon. Governor Wilder wanted to privatize the liquor sales too when he was Governor. And Governor Wilder supported McDonnell’s bid for Governor. I found it odd that Wilder would back a Republican for Governor, but than again long time Dem. Sheila Johnson also supported McDonnell.
Well, I want to know when the privatization happens, can open a liquor store on Battle Street next to KK’s? 😎
Oops..
Well, I want to know when the privatization happens, can *I* open a liquor store on Battle Street next to KK’s? 😎