Consumers and taxpayers want their freedom back. You’re an adult living in America, a taxpayer and you cherish your freedom. That’s why more than 69 percent of Pennsylvania residents demand government butt out of the booze business. Support for privatization transcends party lines, gender, union membership, economic means and all geographic regions of the state.
Bootlegged booze = consumers, taxpayers lose. Consumers shouldn’t have to bootleg booze to buy what they choose, but they do and it costs taxpayers dearly. In just eight Southeast Pennsylvania counties alone, a PLCB-commissioned study found taxpayers lose $40 million per year due to smuggling. Imagine how many more millions of dollars are lost statewide!
More government control hasn’t meant more safety. While opponents spread fear that privatization leads to adverse social impacts like DUI deaths, the facts just don’t add up. If more government control = more safety, then Pennsylvania should be ranked #1 or #2 in the nation – it’s not. Pennsylvania ranks higher than the national average in rates of underage drinking, underage binge drinking, and binge drinking among all residents. PA ranks higher than most of its border states in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and total alcohol-related deaths per capita. A comprehensive study shows no link between government control of alcohol sales and social impacts.
The PLCB wastes taxpayer dollars. From the wine kiosk catastrophe that cost millions to spending $66 million for an inventory database that under-ordered (causing managers to hoard), then over-ordered (wasting millions due to product spoilage and excess storage costs), taxpayers and consumers are saying our government-sold booze is OUT OF ORDER!
Pennsylvania is behind the times. The birthplace of our republic has forced a Soviet-style sales system that has outlived the U.S.S.R by more than 20 years. Pennsylvania is one of only two states (the other is Utah) where government has a complete monopoly over sales of wine and liquor. Most states have never had government involved in selling alcohol and all other states are moving toward free markets, not public monopolies.
The PLCB is in a costly war against itself. Like a pyromaniac preaching fire prevention, the PLCB starts the fire with millions in taxpayer money to promote alcohol, and then spends millions more trying to put out the fire through enforcement and regulation. Citizens demand the PLCB train its full energies on enforcing laws that protect citizens from underage, binge and other forms of alcohol abuse – and stop spending millions to market, stockpile and sell wine and liquor.
