Privatize PLCB

[eldondre]

The privatization of Pennsylvania’s liquor stores is an idea that has been floating around the halls of Harrisburg for decades. The sale of stores alone would generate over $1.7 billion in profit, while continuing to bring in close to $350 million a year through the alcohol sales tax.

now would seem to be a good time
Press and Journal

[raider.adam]

now would seem to be a good time
Press and Journal

Isn't it sort of funny? Rendell would privatize roads before liquor stores.

[desolate]

I think I need to take pictures of the liquir stores in Camden to remind you of the downsides.

They aren't all going to become wine tasting outlets.



While Center City may see an upgrade.


Many hundreds of towns will see a big downgrade.

[Hospitalitygirl]

I think I need to take pictures of the liquir stores in Camden to remind you of the downsides.

They aren't all going to become wine tasting outlets.



While Center City may see an upgrade.


Many hundreds of towns will see a big downgrade.

And the places that want to go dry can go dry. I sincerely doubt they will all, or even many, will look like that decrepit place you posted. Besides, who cares. Really. Competition is good. The Gulag is what sucks.

[johnnie]

Desolate, Drive by or even better go inside the dump of a liquor store at 26th and Girard. I see no downside. That place in Camden would probably be an upgrade.

[seand]

So anybody ask Tom Corbett what he would do?

BTW the NJ store in the picture looks slightly nicer than the last state store we finally replaced in my neighborhood a couple of years ago.

[ShoshTrvls]

Not to mention the fact that a lot of those crappy Camden liquor stores (not necessarily the one shown, but all those along Admiral Wilson and near the bridges) exist only because of PA's draconian liquor laws. If people could by alcohol here as inexpensively as in NJ (and have a wider selection), there'd be no need to grab anyone's attention with huge, ugly signage.

[BeardScraper]

Camden is far from a typical example. come on... go to a bottle king, thats a better example. those may be further north in NJ though. i dont care what they do but it would be great to be able get beer and liquor in the same stores, finally. keep up with the times PA!!

[raider.adam]

I woulda sworn signage could be handled by zoning.

[Illiniwek]

While Center City may see an upgrade.


Many hundreds of towns will see a big downgrade.

Why should we spend taxpayer dollars to maintain the quality of liquor stores around the state? Absurd.

[eldondre]

most places would see an upgrade. desolate is just against change. yeah, and maybe all towns would look like chester in nj with the plcb. hardly representative of the whole state. the liquor store on girard ave is an abomination. I can't buy wine from the liquor store on fairmount ave with the extremely poor selection on sunday. great for all those byo's, great for revenues.

[phillyaggie]

And the places that want to go dry can go dry. I sincerely doubt they will all, or even many, will look like that decrepit place you posted. Besides, who cares. Really. Competition is good. The Gulag is what sucks.

which is how it works in Texas. Of course, the Southern Baptists sitting in high places notice the loss of revenues in their dry counties, and figure out they could put it to vote again and see if the locals want liquor stores, which of course they do...many of them. Several of Dallas area counties were dry when I moved here, but no longer.

[phillyaggie]

You end up deploying private capital where it will get the biggest returns. I imagine not all neighborhoods of Philly (or other towns in PA) might be able to patronize a top-notch liquor store, similar to how Center City has more glitzy restaurants and more glitzy clothes retailers than, say, Southwest Philly or North Philly.

For sake of community development and crime prevention, there could be certain standards enacted to keep private liquor stores from looking too ramshackle.

[seand]

You end up deploying private capital where it will get the biggest returns. I imagine not all neighborhoods of Philly (or other towns in PA) might be able to patronize a top-notch liquor store, similar to how Center City has more glitzy restaurants and more glitzy clothes retailers than, say, Southwest Philly or North Philly.

For sake of community development and crime prevention, there could be certain standards enacted to keep private liquor stores from looking too ramshackle.

Which is why in most places its a license that can get revoked if you break the law in terms of how the store is operated. In PA we somehow have the worst of both worlds - crappy "stop-n-go" beer delis that somehow fail to meet clearly stated PLCB regulations and still not get their license yanked and Stalin-esque state control of wine and spirit sales.

[MarketStEl]

So anybody ask Tom Corbett what he would do?

Every Republican governor of Pennsylvania since at least Dick Thornburgh, and I believe going back before him, has attempted to move privatization of the PLCB liquor store system off dead center at least once during his term of office. Every one of these attempts has died in the legislature, no matter which party controls which house.

There are simply too many people on both sides of the aisle in Harrisburg who benefit from the current arrangement to make privatization likely anytime soon.

Camden is far from a typical example. come on... go to a bottle king, thats a better example. those may be further north in NJ though. i dont care what they do but it would be great to be able get beer and liquor in the same stores, finally. keep up with the times PA!!

Privatization of the State Stores would not necessarily bring about that change, for a different section of the state liquor code governs the sale of beer in the state.

[eldondre]

I'd posit the x-factor is timing and money. if they need money and can raise it, the timing might be right. one could say the same about the brt and something looks like it will finally happen. or table games

[lucy van pelt]

Desolate, Drive by or even better go inside the dump of a liquor store at 26th and Girard. I see no downside. That place in Camden would probably be an upgrade.

Check out that sign at that Camden liquor store - they deliver! Upgrade for sure!

Seriously though, I really don't see any downside to privatizing.

[raider.adam]

Of course you also overlook the gorilla in the room.

The union that the employees are part of. You KNOW they are against any type of privatization.

[seand]

Yeah I doubt many private liquor store clerks have pension benefits.

[eldondre]

Yeah I doubt many private liquor store clerks have pension benefits.

not to mention hours set for employees not customers and protection from being rude to customers.