Last Chance to Buy Booze at Moderately Ridiculous Prices
Tomorrow, the price of booze in Washington graduates to stupidly expensive when the Washington State Liquor Control Board raises its profit margin on every single bottle of hard alcohol available in the state.
You can read my column about it, "They've Got Us by the Booze" and get angry, hopefully. I just want to make sure, when you complain about having to pay more for your cocktails in the coming weeks, that you blame the right people. With the margin on hard alcohol going from 39.2% to 51.9%, establishments selling spirits will have no choice but to raise prices across the board. Remember, it's all the Washington State Liquor Control Board's fault. (You can read the board's explanation/spin on it HERE.)
The bitch of it all? The WSLCB also enforces liquor laws, so absolutely no one will fight this increase, cannot fight this increase, won't even comment on this increase...for fear of retaliation against their brand, person, or establishment. This, my drinkers, is classic fascism.
According to my Random House dictionary, fascism is a "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism." In this case, the governmental system is our state-controlled liquor industry, and the dictator is the WSLCB. They suppress opposition and criticism of their policies because they control the supply of liquor and enforced its use. ALL businesses who rely on them fear retaliation if they oppose or criticize policy publicly. We're dealing with alcohol. So the Puritanical attitudes of some toward the substance allow the entire system to exist, even though nearly every other state in the union seems to get along just find without anything near our level of state control.
Over the top? I don't think so. But I'd love to hear what you think, and I bet so would Governor Gregoire (email her HERE, or call 360-902-4111). Drinkers of Washington, for the love of all that's 80 proof, unite. YOU are your only hope.
9 comment(s)
Anonymous says:
I'll criticize them: WSLCB! YOU SUCK!
Posted On: Friday, Jul. 31 2009 @ 2:55PM
Sarah Schacht says:
Nice job, Anonymous. Super brave. :)
You'd be better off talking with your representative and senator about the Liquor Control Board, though. Also, you can apply for openings on the LCB. If you want to change 'em, join 'em.
Posted On: Friday, Jul. 31 2009 @ 3:30PM
Tanisha says:
You don't know stupidly expensive alcohol prices until you've lived in BC. Try 100% margin.
Posted On: Friday, Jul. 31 2009 @ 5:42PM
MsApprehension says:
Somehow lucked out...just stocked up for the home bar, though I woulda added some more if I'd been aware of this increase...cheers!
Posted On: Friday, Jul. 31 2009 @ 11:45PM
anonymous says:
Let's all protest by quitting drinking alcohol. That way they won't make any money at all from booze and be forced to lower their margin. I started my cleanse yesterday. Just think of all the creative or productive things you could do if you weren't drinking. Alcohol is a poison.
Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 1 2009 @ 12:18AM
tammy says:
in comparison to all the things that we could be complaining about (look at califorina for some examples) i will gladly take the increase in prices. and i drink. a lot. all the time. in fact, i am drinking right now. and i am poor. like, counting my pennies poor. the tax system in the state is far from perfect, but lets pick our battles. i personally think that cutting back on basic health was way worse than increasing the price of vodka. and if they didn't have that vodka to tax, then they certainly would have cut more slots from basic health, meaning that more people would have to go without healthcare. you pick which one is worse.
Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 1 2009 @ 12:48AM
Tiktok says:
Geez, doesn't the State understand that all tax increases should be on things that I don't use? What's up with that?
Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 8:14AM
james clune says:
Hello!
Are you guys crazy? The increase is a very GOOD thing. Why should non-drinkers pay a tax? And...if it stops one As-hole from drinking we will all be better off.
JClune
Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 11:13AM
Anna Karenina says:
Well the way I see it could go either way. If the government increases the tax on liqour and puts it into good use. O.K. But if they increase it just because they can and have no accountability for it and only vote to increase their salaries then we have arrived at a Station called Communizam and coming bach from it requres a revoultion.
Just a thought.
Posted On: Sunday, Aug. 2 2009 @ 9:02PM