Why do Pennsylvania citizens put up with their alcohol laws! (Scranton: neighborhood, sales tax)

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Drover

Whatever Chicago's problems are, they are completely irrelevant to whether or not Pennsylvania's liquor laws are thoroughly absurd. That's the topic of this thread. If you want to talk about Chicago's governance, start a thread on that topic in the Chicago forum.

Nobody ever said they weren't absurd. I was simply discussing logs versus splinters.

[mike02]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

The reason is former Governor Gifford Pinchot. He was an ardent Prohibitionist who was the Governor of Pennsylvania when the Constitution was amended to repeal Prohibition, and he is solely responsible for Pennsylvania's alcohol laws.

Here's the Wikipedia article on Gifford Pinchot.



And here's the Wikipedia article on the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, plus an interesting quote from former Governor Richard Thornburgh:



The only reason Pennsylvania's alcohol laws remain the way they are is because special-interest groups have more political will than the general public -- a problem that's in no way exclusive to Pennsylvania, I might add.

Very true statement! But PA is obviously a bad state with these interest groups. Just read the PLCB's website on flawed stats about underage drinking. Specifically on that topic, I'm against criminalizing underage drinking. In most states it's a civil offense and most states permit consumption of alcohol under 21 usually under certain circumstances (supervision by parent/guardian, private property, etc). PA does not allow any of that and it is part of the reason this state has a fairly high binge drinking problem. Also, Penn State is like the #1 party school in the nation. When you demonize alcohol, you create serious problems. Our youth view it as a forbidden fruit. When I was in school, there was a propaganda machine by these interest groups treating alcohol like a serious drug. Underage drinking meant serious damage to society! Yeah, with this mentality our youth are bound to have alcohol problems. Thank you communist PA liquor laws. Thank you MADD.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Lancastriangal

i guess drinking is really important to more folks than i thought ..

I agree....I do drink on occasion, but if drinking is such a big part of someone's life that the PA alcohol laws get their panties in a bunch, I think they may have a drinking problem.

It seems way too many people in PA, specifically Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, have lives that revolve around alcohol...every social event has to be a drinking party, and grown adults, even those with kids, seem to spend way too much time on a barstool at happy hour. I don't get the attraction to drinking all the time.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by go phillies

I agree....I do drink on occasion, but if drinking is such a big part of someone's life that the PA alcohol laws get their panties in a bunch, I think they may have a drinking problem.

It seems way too many people in PA, specifically Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, have lives that revolve around alcohol...every social event has to be a drinking party, and grown adults, even those with kids, seem to spend way too much time on a barstool at happy hour. I don't get the attraction to drinking all the time.

I find it hard to believe that people in PA, across the board, drink more than those in other states. That being said, I agree with your last sentence completely. I've never understood it. What I find even more bizarre is how grown people, even professionals in the working world, still love to talk about their drinking war stories: "man, we were all drinking so much that I stumbled up the driveway, walked inside, and passed out on my couch." Seriously, who cares!

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I find it hard to believe that people in PA, across the board, drink more than those in other states. That being said, I agree with your last sentence completely. I've never understood it. What I find even more bizarre is how grown people, even professionals in the working world, still love to talk about their drinking war stories: "man, we were all drinking so much that I stumbled up the driveway, walked inside, and passed out on my couch." Seriously, who cares!

I don't think PA as a whole drinks more than other states, but in Northeast PA, its a very big drinking culture. I have heard NEPA has one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the nation, and the lists in the paper every week of DUI arrests are a mile long.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

What I find even more bizarre is how grown people, even professionals in the working world, still love to talk about their drinking war stories: "man, we were all drinking so much that I stumbled up the driveway, walked inside, and passed out on my couch." Seriously, who cares!

I agree....the whole "drinking myself into a stupor" thing got old after college. It may have been fun back in the day, but now that I'm in my 30s, I can't see myself going out and getting bombed on a regular basis.

[airwair]

PA's laws **** me off, but I'd hardly say that I have an alcohol problem. In fact, one of my biggest issues is that I can't get a 6-pack at an affordable price. If I want cheap beer, I have to buy a case. I simply don't drink that much.

But thanks for generalizing.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by airwair

PA's laws **** me off, but I'd hardly say that I have an alcohol problem. In fact, one of my biggest issues is that I can't get a 6-pack at an affordable price. If I want cheap beer, I have to buy a case. I simply don't drink that much.

Ditto. In fact, one of the reasons the beer laws annoy me is because I don't drink that much. A case of beer, if I don't have a couple of cookouts over the summer, will last more than a year. I don't want to drink the same variety of beer for more than a year; nor do I want to get fleeced for a six-pack at the local pizza joint.

But thanks for generalizing.

A real head-shaker, isn't it?

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Ditto. In fact, one of the reasons the beer laws annoy me is because I don't drink that much. A case of beer, if I don't have a couple of cookouts over the summer, will last more than a year. I don't want to drink the same variety of beer for more than a year; nor do I want to get fleeced for a six-pack at the local pizza joint.


A real head-shaker, isn't it?

Somehow I don't have a real problem buying 6 packs, and don't feel I'm getting fleeced. 8 or 9 bucks for a 6 pack of Sam Adams, for example, at Wegmans doesn't seem like a rip-off to me. Of course you're going to pay more per bottle when you buy a 6 pack as opposed to case, but that's anywhere.

And the sh**ty beer like Miller, Bud, and Coors is even cheaper than that....I don't see how PA prices for 6 packs are any different than anywhere else.

[Gemma Brighton]

Beer is sold in some supermarkets (Weis in Tannersville, and Foodtown in Middle Smithfield). Your best $$ value though is to buy a 1/2 half keig w/ deposit at the beer store and enjoy it at home for a week or so (depending of course on how many friends you have over).

If its important to you to have great access to alcohol, what about starting your own microbrew at home? They have kits online.

Also, here in PA they don't yank your license at the first dui like in NJ. (Disclaimer - Please don't drink and drive.)

(For those that are truly needy, no disrespect intended, I would hope though that you not let it get out of control over you, just for at least the sake of not letting all that Corporate advertising brainwash you into a complete herd robot).