1183 passed (not to go P&R here, but where else to discuss?)

Local news is (grudgingly) reporting that 1183 has passed with a 60% "yes" vote...
No more state monopoly on liquor sales. I voted yes.... happy to see this pass.
The state should not be in the business of selling booze.

Again, per the subject, it's a P&R topic no doubt - but it's a local issue. I
feel that's fair game to discuss here.

Thoughts?

Jedi

 

Will our cocktailing get cheaper or will it just shift the profits is my question.

I don't drink enough to care but it will be interesting.

State will still regulate and collect taxes so I they won't be non existent.

 

It will allow supermarkets and such to sell hard liquor. Can't wait for costco to stock up and sell in bulk!! haha

 

I voted for it. Booze won't get any cheaper (probably), but the tax revenue that went to pay for liquor stores will hopefully be spent better.

I can't believe the people who think that there will now be drunk drivers and drunk teenagers everywhere because this passed... The drinking age is still 21, and the penalties for selling to minors doubles. Not to mention 32 other states have liquor for sale in grocery stores and they have the exact same problems as the 18 states that sold only in state run stores.

 

What the commercials failed to state was the stores that sell must be 10,000 sqft or more with some exceptions which will rule out all of the Mini Marts they were preaching about.

I agree if people want booze they can get it whether it's a State owned business or private.

 

I hope the same thing happens in Oregon. The state should not be involved in selling liquor. Tax it, regulate it--sure. But privatize selling it. I'm jazzed that it passed.

S

 

You can buy booze out of liquor stores in Oregon can't you? I bought a fifth of Grey Goose at a little mom and pop near Oregon Raceway Park and it was damn cheap compared to Washington State pricing.

 

I'm afraid the hard stuff will push out some of the microbrews at the grocery store. Gotta find space somewhere.

 

The LARGEST savings will come to US the TAX PAYERS..

A lot of folks do not relize that the "Clerks" at the State Stores are State Union, making STUPID union wage for a "Cashier clerk" job..and....

1) Health insurance (we pay)
2) Insane paid Holidays, Vacation time and DOUBLE OT after hours

BUT the real savings..ALMOST 310 STATE EMPLOYEE'S that will NOT be added to the
"retirement" pension plan with NUTS benifits after they do their 25 years behind the cashier ringing up sales..

NO that's the real reason the State should not have been in the business at all!

Like the old saying goes.. "If I ran my business like the State did, I would be out of Business"

 

AMEN TO ALL!!! Think about it... the state taxes it (one of the very highest
booze taxes in the nation), then sells it at a profit, and the taxpayers foot the bill
for the entire operation. It's like MAFIA tactics.

Happy to see it pass.

Just for the record, I like Christian Brothers Brandy... the 5th bottle in WA state
is $16.25...... in Ohio it's $10.45!!!! just this last weekend when I was there. Regular
gas was $3.24 and a pack of Marlboros was $5.24 ($8 here... I don't smoke, but
did take note for reference).

Our state has P L E N T Y tax revenue OMG. It's the SPENDING that has to
be curtailed. They can DO WITH LESS instead of constantly demanding that
we should all pay more.

Jedi

 

I agree with Roy...cough...hack...cough...cough....about the pensions but like all businesses even tho they had elevated wages the stores revenue paid the bills.

It's good to get them out of it yes.

 

Still a state run store. Limited selection, some poor pricing, etc.

 

Nothing fails like Government; the feds ran the bunny ranch into the dirt. How do you screw up a brothel that’s in the same building as a bar?

 

Were you choking because you agreed with Roy??

Yes the revenue did pay for the wages. The amazing part of all this to me though was the report by the state's own budget office about how much MORE income will be added to the state general fund by making this change.

I don't necessarily agree with how the Pro-1183 commercials were portraying that money as going straight to "essential services" like more fire-fighters, but the bottom line is the state will make more money by getting out of the business and just taxing it!! Duh!?

 

So happy this passed. I'm not sure if I'm in the minority or majority with fully expecting prices to drop drastically. Every other state I go to where I can buy in supermarkets the price is way lower, half I would say. Retailers will be able to buy directly from distillers and cut out the wholesalers (and the state for bars/restaurants).

Sanity coming to say wa? Hummm...

 

Very well said Roy, I would add that more competition generally means better prices so Im sure in time prices will go down.

 

Another Seattle-area Ferrari enthusiast and I are the two largest partners in Wine World, the 23,000 square foot wine superstore that opened last December.

We had mixed feelings about the initiative. Clearly, the state needed to be out of the liquor business. Our fear, though, is that out-of-state behemoths like BevMo will now flood in.

We'd prefer to be more entrenched before out-of-state corporations attack, but we'll do the best we can to serve the Northwest.

We already have the area's most knowledgable staff for wines and, by June, we'll have liquor experts and specialty liquor that far surpasses Costco.

 

Sounds like that will be the place to go! Where are you located?

 

Sounds like it could be exciting times ahead Don. I didn't realize you were involved in Wine World too. I keep saying I'm going to make it up there to check it out but haven't made the long hike yet!

Any plans to add inventory search to your website?

 

It's at the corner of 45th St. and I-5, in the U-district.

http://wineworldwarehouse.com/

Great store!!

 

I'm right by there. I am just off Ravenna near Green Lake. I'm not a wine drinker but I will come by to check it out in anticipation of spirts being in the inventory.

 

This is one of those non-issues made into an issue by the fringe of both parties and associated business interests. Most Democrats have been pushing for the state to get out of the booze biz since the 1960s and the Republicans were right behind. The history of the issue is that there were core groups successfully lobbying against the change. For the most part the groups were initially the legislators and agency heads who all had their one loser family members employed at a state store. (As the old saying goes, everyone has a loser uncle...and if a dad or grandpa had influence in the state your uncle worked for the liquor store.) Then there were the distributors, who liked the monopoly. As a final group when the state unionized the employees, then that was another group.

As a marketing guy...and former political guy, I thought the anti group shot themselves in the foot by targeting Costco as evil and buying the vote. Costco has extremely high approval ratings. Essentially, when you attack Costco, you're attacking an enormous employer -- known for good pay, wonderful benefits, opportunities for advancement, and providing unmatched customer service and fantastic prices. They would have had more luck bashing UW or WSU, because at least some of the state went to "the other school".

The number of employees lost by the state will be made up by the private sector hiring to deal with the distribution, sales, marketing/advertising.

The mini-mart thing was stupid. I don't understand why the campaigns didn't just lay out the truth: 10,000 sq ft minimum, unless there is no 10,000 sq ft location within a reasonable distance (which was not defined, but safe to say around 30-40 miles.) The cost for the license would prevent a small shop anyway. In those areas, it is likely the state-run store would simply continue as a private entity.

When it comes to pricing, don't get too optimistic. WA still has the highest (unless a state just voted for higher) booze tax in the country. For me, the cost is only a small issue, rather convenience and selection. I have no problem paying the sin tax -- as I'd rather pay sin and gas taxes -- no matter how high than income and higher B+O taxes. The state has to find ways of funding education, transportation, health care, and social services so that Western Washington doesn't turn into Johannesburg and we all pay twice what we pay in taxes now for private security, insurance on our cars, houses and businesses, etc...(not to mention that we can't drive our F-cars for fear of being carjacked.)

The people against this simply had money to lose by it passing, or they were folks that simply didn't understand that the issue had little or no affect on underage drinking or DWI incidents.

 

Yeah but, it is an issue. Just for the record I enjoy my scotch and Ferrari, obviously at different times of the day. I walked into a Costco in Hawaii and they were selling half gallons for beyond ridiculous prices. I actually became concerned as kids ( well 18+) were hanging out by the door - did they get someone to pick stuff up? I do not know.

I am the last guy to cast the first stone, since I did the same sh$t but may be that is why I am concerned.

 

Not likely, because Costcos (like any supermarket where people use club cards to get discounts) have a record of what you buy. That tends to prevent people from buying something for illegal purposes.

The place under-aged kids shop at most commonly for alcohol and drugs? Mom and dad's fridge, liquor cabinet and medicine cabinet. Beyond that, it's easier to shop for Oxy than Budweiser, so I'm told by my friends in law enforcement, education and medicine.

 

Gary, thanks for listing the address and website.
Steve and John, thanks for your enthusiasm.

Regarding John's question about online inventory... YES we are beta-testing e-commerce now so not only will you be able to check inventory, you'll be able to order online. We have technical hurdles and regulatory hoops to jump through, but we hope to be live soon.