“Stalinist System, Just Gussied Up a Bit”

Bitter has posted an article from Food and Wine talking about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and Pennsylvania’s ossified liquor laws in general.  As much as it’s a problem for individual citizens, it’s an even bigger problem for restaurants and bars.  As a citizen, I can go over to New Jersey to get liquor, beer, and wine I can’t easily get here.   While I wouldn’t describe New Jersey’s liquor laws as the model of liberalism, they are certainly less draconian than Pennsylvania’s.  Bars and Restaurants don’t have this option.   As a condition of their liquor license, they have to buy from the state monopoly, which means you have your choice of wines and spirits that the state monopoly carries.   There have been significant improvements in recent years in this regard, but the LCB is and will remain an antiquated system that ought to be abolished.

In other states, you can by wine, beer, and in some cases even hard liquor in supermarkets.  I think only a fool would argue that these states have more alcohol related problems than Pennsylvania does.   I think it’s high time our state legislators ended the state monopoly, and adopted liquor laws more similar to Arizona’s.

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Ask a Legislator – The Beer Edition
  2. Corbett Sympathetic to Free Market Wine and Liquor
  3. LCB Reforms

4 thoughts on ““Stalinist System, Just Gussied Up a Bit””

  1. In Indiana, anybody can sell liquor if they get a liquor license. Most supermarkets don’t sell liquor, but nearly all sell beer and wine. Most drugstores sell liquor. At least in Bloomington, the place to go for the best prices and best selection in liquor is Sam’s Club.

    But what really drives me nuts here isnt the liquor laws. It’s the minimum pricing for dairy. I get pissed every time I buy milk here.

  2. I think the state of PA is the ninth biggest buyer of wine from distributors. I was in a state store a few Sundays ago and the clerk, who was very rude, told another customer “I’m making 30 f-ing dollars an hour today”. I thought- just imagine if these stores were private, how much private individuals could benefit, and they’d probably return at least the same amount of revenue to the state in taxes anyway. And there would be fewer pro-nannystate voters (state workers).

  4. Wow, just think, if the current drug prohibition laws end, states could end up as dealers.

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