2022 CO State Ballot

[otowi]

Originally Posted by Tripicana

I thought I heard something on npr about how all the absentee ballots passed all the alcohol bills on the ballot. Anyone hear anything like that, I can’t find any links?

That does not seem to be accurate - https://results.enr.clarityelections...7039/#/summary

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

Prop 125 passed with 28,000 votes. Starting March 1st, Coloradans will be able to purchase wine in grocery stores. It will be the 40th state in the union to have a convenience. The changes you'll see are smaller and local liquor stores will carry more niche and small microbreweries that the large grocery stores won't carry or have the shelf space. It's successful in neighboring states such as Nebraska and Arizona. Whatever smaller brands your local King Soopers or Fry's doesn't have, you drive to your local liquor store. You might even see BevMo expand into the Front Range.

https://www.reporterherald.com/2022/...rocery-stores/

So stupid that the voters didn't pass 124. Grocery stores (and Walmart) will eventually have free reign to sell beer, wine, and liquor in as many stores as they want, and liquor stores will be limited to three locations.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

So stupid that the voters didn't pass 124. Grocery stores (and Walmart) will eventually have free reign to sell beer, wine, and liquor in as many stores as they want, and liquor stores will be limited to three locations.

I saw that, it's such a asinine and archaic law. Not sure what's holding people back from having a completely free market for alcohol in the state.

[Mike from back east]

We watched for decades as Wall Street money rolled up most mom and pop stores into massive chains of "super stores" of various types. We used to have local operators that sold books, hardware, office supplies, groceries, automobiles, clothing, kitchenwares, jewelry, bakeries, Savings & Loans, hobbies, games, sporting goods, burgers, sandwiches, wines, etc. By itself, Wal-Mart put untold thousands of mom and pop stores of all varieties out of business in thousands of small towns all over the country, so much so that Wal-Mart is said to be the main killer of Main Street downtowns.

I've mixed feelings about the alcohol-related ballot items -- in this day and age. Supermarkets should be able to sell all these items which is good for prices but bad for small retailers. I like limiting the number of liquor stores that one family may own, but feel it's way to late to protect these mom and pop stores given paragraph one above as most of the other mom and pops were not protected and are long gone. But, why should a limitation on liquor store ownership apply to just alcohol stores? IMO it should've been broadly applied decades ago. I mean, why should "Larry H. Miller" deserve to operate 63 car dealerships when 63 families could have a going business? Instead of 63 families sharing the wealth we get obscene concentrations of wealth into one person or entity. Same for all the mega-dealerships. The concentration of ownership greatly restricts competition and leads to higher prices instead of the lower prices we're told to expect from big chains bringing "economies of scale." It seems our nation has lost any notion of preventing market domination, restraint of trade and monopoly situations.

This craziness is enough to drive a man to drink. Cheers.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

We watched for decades as Wall Street money rolled up most mom and pop stores into massive chains of "super stores" of various types. We used to have local operators that sold books, hardware, office supplies, groceries, automobiles, clothing, kitchenwares, jewelry, bakeries, Savings & Loans, hobbies, games, sporting goods, burgers, sandwiches, wines, etc. By itself, Wal-Mart put untold thousands of mom and pop stores of all varieties out of business in thousands of small towns all over the country, so much so that Wal-Mart is said to be the main killer of Main Street downtowns.

I've mixed feelings about the alcohol-related ballot items -- in this day and age. Supermarkets should be able to sell all these items which is good for prices but bad for small retailers. I like limiting the number of liquor stores that one family may own, but feel it's way to late to protect these mom and pop stores given paragraph one above as most of the other mom and pops were not protected and are long gone. But, why should a limitation on liquor store ownership apply to just alcohol stores? IMO it should've been broadly applied decades ago. I mean, why should "Larry H. Miller" deserve to operate 63 car dealerships when 63 families could have a going business? Instead of 63 families sharing the wealthy we get obscene concentrations of wealth into one person or entity. Same for all the mega-dealerships. The concentration of ownership greatly restricts competition and leads to higher prices instead of the lower prices we're told to expect from big chains bringing "economies of scale." It seems our nation has lost any notion of preventing market domination, restraint of trade and monopoly situations.

This craziness is enough to drive a man to drink. Cheers.

This is so true. Another issue I have is all the crap we're importing from 3rd world countries and China. No quality or craftsmanship. Would I pay more for products manufactured here? Absolutely. However, I don't believe the government should help out a small business if they're struggling. We have to do our part as individuals and start making the right choices with our wallets.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

This is so true. Another issue I have is all the crap we're importing from 3rd world countries and China. No quality or craftsmanship. Would I pay more for products manufactured here? Absolutely. However, I don't believe the government should help out a small business if they're struggling. We have to do our part as individuals and start making the right choices with our wallets.

Tend to agree, but again it was Wall Street money that supported off-shoring for the sake of higher profits which end up going to a relatively concentrated segment of our society, i.e., wealth gets shoveled upstairs to the already wealthy instead of a more equitable sharing of the GDP pie. The small business furniture makers in the southeast are mostly gone, as are most textile mills, etc, and it's a real conundrum when it comes to whether or not we protect our businesses against distant nations with dirt cheap labor, no labor protections and no pollution controls. I've tried to "Buy American" as far back as the 1970s when the ILGWU ladies sang their song on TV ads.....look for the union label when you are .....

[Brill]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

We watched for decades as Wall Street money rolled up most mom and pop stores into massive chains of "super stores" of various types.

Abasin released a book about the history of the ski area. In the intro, it mentions that abasin was supposed to be part of the original vail resorts(along with with keystone, breck, vail and beaver creek). Department of justice didn't allow it and made them divest abasin. That was in 1997. Now, vail has what? 40 resorts? I find that interesting how that changed.

[TCHP]

That is the by-product of a continued push for de-regulation of business and unfettered corporatism that many of our reps fall for once in office. It began back in 1980 and has been hard at work ever since.