An Abolitionist Movement: Down With Wine Monopolies!

As many of you already know, I am no friend of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

I suppose that is putting it a bit mildly, since I've likened their unconcstitutional state-run wine monopoly to Communism, publicly ridiculed the 40%+ premium that they add to state wine prices (while at the same time limiting selection, reducing service quality, and boating some of the worst storage conditions in the country), and accused them of engaging in fear-mongering and sycophantic lobbying to protect their monopoly position.

But who's bitter? Me?!? I'm not bitter!!! Who you callin' a PSYCHO!??!!!

Anyway, the good news is that I no longer have to utilize previous 1WineDude.com real estate to fight the good fight against the PLCB. I've found a blog dedicated to that purpose, and I'd argue that its author (Lew Bryson) does a better job of it than I'd ever do!

I give you noplcb.blogspot.com, a.k.a. "Why The PLCB Should Be Abolished"!

For PA wine lovers, this blog will be hilariously funny in the same "cuts-so-close to reality that it kinda makes you wanna cry" way that Dilbert is hilariously funny for cubicle workers...

While I will probably defer to Lew on all matters PLCB from now on, I should note that I'm not an advocate for abolishing the PLCB - or any state-run liqour monopoly, for that matter. I simply want those monopolies to adhere to the decisions of their state and federal constitutions, and to ammend existing laws to permit competition with those monopolies.

Let them have their fair shot in the real world, and not in the 'fake' marketplace set up under the protection of state governments. Personally, I don't think their business plans stand a snowball's chance in hell, but let's leave that to the open market to decide - and not the lobbyists.

When you're talking about a monopoly that brings billions of dollars to those states, it's a Sisyphusian struggle to be sure, and I'm sure that some of my rants about this topic sound downright naive.

But... the way that these state wine monopolies run is appalling; the message it sends is that the government will protect businesses from having to adhere to the Constitution, so long as those businesses make enough revenue for the state.

And that's just not the kind of world in which I want my daughter to grow up.

Cheers!