Wegman's and Pennsylvania's outdated liquor laws (sales, crime, neighborhood)

[BPP1999]

Wegmans takes steps to sell beer (phillyBurbs.com) | Intelligencer (http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-12062007-1451837.html - broken link)

Here's a link to an interesting article.

Good luck, Wegman's!!

[Ohiogirl81]

Go, Wegman's, go!!!!

It's not as far as I'd like to see relaxing restrictions on liquor and beer sales to go, but it's a start.

[Duderino]

It's about time someone challenged such an archaic law. It's just simply inconvenient to not be able to purchase alcohol at the supermarket. Heck, they even allow alcohol to be sold in supermarkets in DC -- and this place is known for being one patrol car short of a police state.

Bravo, Wegman's!

[teachbeach]

Pennsylvania has the most antiquated liquor purchase laws in the United States. Heck, you can buy it in convenience stores and drug stores in some states (Michigan, Ohio, Florida for starters). Grocery stores could at least sell beer and wine for take out. New Jersey allows beer purchases, but only after 12 noon.

[Icy Tea]

Is it really that hard to go to a liquor store or beer mart to get alcohol? When I feel the need to get a six pack I can go to 2 places near me. Both are restaurants/sandwich places. There is also a liquor store that I go to maybe once a year at the holidays. Plus a beer mart.
I see an increase in teens shoplifting booze if they go through with this. We may be in the stone age in Pa but we're also not as bad as southern states when it comes to crime and alcohol fueled violence. We don't need bars on every corner and everybody selling beer and wine.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

I see an increase in teens shoplifting booze if they go through with this.

That's an interesting point, but let's be honest. Teens can and usually do get alcohol from their slightly elder peers if they really want it -- it really doesn't have to come down to shoplifting anymore.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

I see an increase in teens shoplifting booze if they go through with this.

Seriously? That's a funny thing to be concerned about, considering the rigamarole you're still going to have to go through in order to buy beer at the grocery store. It's not like you're going to be able to plop it in your cart next to the filet mignon and asparagus. According to the article, beer sales will have to take place in an area separate from the rest of the store. Teens -- or anyone else -- would have a tough time stuffing beer under their coats. Anyway, teens always have been and always will just walk into a friendly neighborhood bar to buy their sixers.

[BPP1999]

I still don't understand why people insist on justifying PA's systems. Why do we think that our system is better than anyone else's? It's not. We have nothing to show for it but a bloated bureaucracy, overpriced alcohol, an inconvenient system, and a few thousand union workers, many of whom are overpaid, underworked, rude and/or completely useless.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I still don't understand why people insist on justifying PA's systems.

Probably people who have a stake in the system and want to protect their piece of the pie.

The beer distributors and bars are whining about this only because they don't want the competition from grocery and convenience stores. Because when there's competition, prices drop or stay stable. There is no earthly reason that buying beer at the neighborhood pizza joint or corner bar would be preferable to or safer or better than buying it at Wegman's or Wawa.

[BPP1999]

[quote=Ohiogirl81;2191546]Probably people who have a stake in the system and want to protect their piece of the pie.[quote]

Of course, but there's also the right-wing crusaders who feel that alcohol is "the work of the devil" who support the LCB as well. And then there's people who are used to the system and don't like change. This latter group is the one that I have the most issue with. The system is flawed, but you can't get that idea through their thick skulls.