Privatization Opponents: Distorting or Ill-Informed?
MAY 22, 2013 | by NATHAN BENEFIELD
Critics of liquor store privatization claim that a CDC study suggests liquor privatization would result in greater social harms. The problem: The flawed study doesn't support that claim, and the Task Force admits that they can't find a link between privatization of liquor sales and social harms.
Dead? Mostly Dead? What's Happening with Privatization?
MAY 17, 2013 | by DAWN MELING
Have you heard that liquor privatization is dead? Or maybe just mostly dead? Well, as one of the great philosophers of our time (Billy Crystal in The Princess Bride) once said: “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and DEAD.” And here in Pennsylvania, there’s a big difference between mostly dead and where liquor privatization actually stands.
Perpetual Problems Plague PLCB
MAY 15, 2013 | by BOB DICK
Another year and another audit of the PLCB released by the Auditor General’s Office found mismanagement at the state agency. The report noted the agency is plagued by "internal control weakness over financial reporting for capital assets." In other words, the PLCB lacks any policy to label and keep track of its inventory properly, which led the agency to overstate its assets by over $1 million dollars.
Anti-Privatization Study Dismantled
MAY 15, 2013 | by JOHN BOUDER
An article by Trevor Butterworth, a statistics guru at Forbes.com, dismantles the methodology of the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Task Force study frequently cited by liquor privatization opponents.
Privatization Great for Washington State
MAY 14, 2013 | by DAWN MELING
A year ago this June, the government liquor monopoly ended in Washington state. Critics of Pennsylvania’s plan to privatize state wine and spirits stores have pointed to Washington as an example of the negative consequences of privatization, yet Washington has seen liquor tax revenue increase by 12 percent and liquor sales increase by $23 million compared to last year.
Reckless Scheme or Reckless Ad?
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) is spending a million in order to save a million—every year!
The UFCW announced a $1 million statewide television ad buy attacking "reckless" liquor privatization proposals. But the real "reckless scheme" is the union’s shameful attempt to mislead the public to protect its own political and financial largess. The Commonwealth Foundation estimates that UFCW 1776 receives approximately $1.2 million annually in forced union dues collected from roughly 2,100 members employed in the state-run liquor stores.
