State Stores Are an Abomination (Penn: sales, health insurance, to buy)

[kleinberglowenstein]

I'm from San Francisco, live in CT but visit friends in PA several times a year. Therefore I have patronized these establishments many, many times. Are you familiar with any of my frustrations? First of all, some of the staff are very friendly, but the rest are NASTY! One time I asked a clerk at the Cheltenham store for directions (after all I WAS making a purchase), and he acted like I asked him to move the earth. Also, due to PA laws, the staff are discouraged from learning about how to recommend different drinks. I once overheard another customer ask the clerk "What foods does (insert wine here) pair with?" The clerk said it nicely but answered "I don't know because I don't drink (insert wine here)." If all retail staff thought that way, customer service would literally not exist! Most of their clerks give you an attitude including a dirty look if you say one word to them. They all remind me of the liquor store clerk in American Graffiti. "You got an ID for da licka?" Even worse is that these folks have a union to defend their stupidity. And try going to one of these stores without straining to not knock over and break bottles. They try to cram WAY too much product in these stores, making them claustrophobic. I think a good rule would be to get rid of the damn cardboard displays all over the place.

[Ohiogirl81]

You're preaching to the choir, friend.

As much as the majority of the consumers hate the system, the system is very deeply entrenched with cronyism, favoritism, nepotism, and a bunch of other -isms, coupled with some very vocal residents who don't drink alcohol and don't care, those who apparently don't mind cronyism and nepotism, those who don't understand simple economics, and those who think Pennsylvania will become a state full of raging alcoholics if we're allowed to buy a bottle of Beaujolais at the corner market.

"Stupidity" is a good word for it.

[Craziaskowboi]

I blame Gifford Pinchot.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The PLCB was established in conjunction with the 21st Amendment and the repeal of prohibition. In 1933, just four days before the sale of alcohol became legal in Pennsylvania, the Board was officially organized. Upon its creation, Governor Gifford Pinchot stated that the purpose of the Board was to "discourage the purchase of alcoholic beverages by making it as inconvenient and expensive as possible."

[Boompa]

The State Store System is an example of Legislating Religious Morality

[Duderino]

State stores can be moderately annoying and definitely are an archaic concept, but I don't know why people obsess over them so much. It has an extremely negligible effect on our state's quality of life, especially now that beer/wine is sold in many grocery stores in PA. It's just one of those quirky PA things that basically everyone gets used to.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by Boompa

The State Store System is an example of Legislating Religious Morality

That may ahve been true in the past but not the present case unless you're going to suggest the Democrats are bunch of religious zealots. It's the Democrats that are the primary supporters of the current system because the clerks are unionized. With the PA legislature and Governor's mansion in control of the GOP there is finally some serious talk of eliminating the State Stores.

[Mr Yuk]

I could care less that the state controls liquor sales....I don't drink enough wine or liquor to really care, and once in a while, when I do buy a bottle of wine, I find the state stores to have an adequate selection and fair prices. As long as the state stores are turning a profit, we should keep them....the loss of revenue will be made up through tax increases.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Duderino

It's just one of those quirky PA things that basically everyone gets used to.

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

I could care less that the state controls liquor sales....I don't drink enough wine or liquor to really care

See what I mean?

As long as the state stores are turning a profit, we should keep them....the loss of revenue will be made up through tax increases.

Another fallacy. The state will still collect its tax revenue through liquor sales, and through licensing; it also will no longer pay exorbitant salaries and outrageous benefits and pensions to its poorly trained clerks.

If anything, the state will make more money by dispensing with the state-run system.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

As long as the state stores are turning a profit, we should keep them....the loss of revenue will be made up through tax increases.

They make about 90 million a year and considering they have nearly 2 billion in sales that is a paltry figure especially when you consider the high prices. No private company is going to operate on a 5% margin so that money is going to somewhere isn't it? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

it also will no longer pay exorbitant salaries and outrageous benefits and pensions to its poorly trained clerks.

.

Liquor store clerks make between 10 and 11 bucks an hour, and most are part-time....hardly exorbitant salaries, and I highly doubt that includes an "outrageous" pension. Probably no pension if they're a part timer. And there's definitely no outrageous benefits....for any state employee. They pay for their health insurance, and its an HMO. And somehow I would venture that a state store clerk is better trained than some dumpy privately owned corner liquor store, and less likely to be selling to underage buddies.

Honestly, I think if someone drinks enough that they find the state stores to be incovenient and overpriced, they may want to look into a 12 step program. Where I live, there are multiple state stores within 5 minutes of my house, and most have convenient hours and are open on Sunday.

Plus, privately owned stores will hurt the economy, because instead of a state store clerk making 11 bucks an hour, those jobs will be replaced by minimum wage jobs in private stores.