That's enough to drive a man to drink! Bob
> > > >> The mind boggles when trying to understand the variation > in liquor > >> pricing and availability within the U.S. > >> > >> In the U.S., some states, like North Carolina and Virginia are > >> blessed with state-run liquor stores. In those states there is no > >> option but to buy your spirits from the state-run ABC (or distill > >> your own). But wine (sometimes, some states) and beer are in the > >> grocery stores, the "quick stop" stores, etc. The states, > in their > >> beneficence, do not provide low prices for their goods, > but the mark- > >> up is not too exorbitant either. In Missouri, when I moved > there 24 > >> years ago, I could buy spirits, wine, and beer in any > grocery store, > >> as long as it wasn't Sunday. At the time, across the river > in Kansas, > >> you couldn't buy anything beyond watered-down beer > anywhere except an > >> ABC store, nor could you buy alcoholic drinks in a public > restaurant. > >> Which led to the fiction of many many "private clubs" > restricted in > >> membership to those who could walk or wheel through the > door and pay > >> $1 for a membership. Now I can buy anything anywhere at > any time in > >> Kansas and Missouri, except that spirits are still > controlled by the > >> ABC in Kansas. At very decent prices in my Missouri stores (with > >> single malts, for example, often lower than prices at > duty-free shops > >> in Heathrow). In Michigan where I frequently travel, the anything/ > >> anywhere rules apply, except before noon on Sunday and then it is > >> nothing/nowhere. > >> > > > > This is one of the many things I miss about Missouri. > Being able to > > walk into any liquor, grocery or convenience store and buy > whatever I > > wanted was nice. Here in the People's Republic > (Pennsylvania) the State > > has a very tight grip on liquor distribution. I read > somewhere that PA > > is the world's 2nd largest alcohol buyer. You would think, > with their > > buying power, that booze would be a bit more reasonable. To the > > contrary, they levy an 18.5% liquor tax on top of the > normal sales tax. > > Yay for PA! Not only am I overcharged, my selection is > at the mercy > > of what the Liquor Control Board decides to stock. > > > > Beer is a little different, but still inconvenient. I have > to go to a > > beer "distributor" and can only buy by the case. Selection > is often > > limited in the smaller stores. Beer can be purchased in > take-out six > > packs from local bars - at bar prices. Whee! > > > > The LCB also regulates the number of licenses for > restaurants. I have > > never lived anywhere else that had restaurants with BYOB > signs on the door. > > > > In Missouri I could go grocery shopping and come home with > wine, whisky > > and all the beer I wanted - all from 1 store. Here, that > would involve > > at least 3 stores, costs considerably more and pisses me > off to no end. > > For a blue state, PA is a bit too conservative for my > tastes. </rant> > > > > > > > -- > I am personally a member of the Cream of the Illuminati. > A union with the Bavarian Illuminati is contemplated. > When it is complete the Bavarian Cream Illuminati will rule the world > -- Anonymous > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly > above and follow the directions. > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
