What’s this about? *Walgreens in Gig Harbor*Submitted by discodawg02 t3_yy03s1 in Washington
Apprehensive_Deer555 t1_iwsh3ma wrote
Reply to comment by Proffesssor in What’s this about? *Walgreens in Gig Harbor* by discodawg02
How so?
Edit: thanks for the explanation, guys. I'm a transplant so these liquor laws are bizarre.
FrothytheDischarge t1_iwsibih wrote
They are the ones who wrote & lobbied the law themselves that supported big box stores when it came to distribution. Thus screwing smaller private business owners who wanted in. Many smaller alcohol & sprits stores went bankrupt 1-2 years after opening.
RemarkableDisaster92 t1_iwt7vd0 wrote
You forgot to mention that prior to Costco you could only buy from WA. State liquor Control Board (the state government owned and operated all the liquor stores). And when that law passed the state was required to either sell or close the stores owned and operated by the state. The law also stated that you had to have at least 10,000 square feet of retail sales space.
[deleted] t1_iwtbeqv wrote
The state also had lots of small stores around the state that sold liquor - I guess acting as an agent of the state, keeping sales separate.
RemarkableDisaster92 t1_iwtbv14 wrote
I don't know what it was like on the Westside of Washington but whe i was in Eastern Washington you could only buy from the state there weren't any private owned stores that I was aware of.
[deleted] t1_iwtdppo wrote
There were contract stores all over the state that sold state liquor:
"...contract stores that sold spirits for the state in less populated areas... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4608622/
Like the little store in "downtown" Roslyn that had liquor on the wall behind the counter. Or the grocery store out in Ilwaco that had a gated off section to sell alcohol.
MangledUpInBlue t1_iwsjfy7 wrote
…and we end up with higher prices and a nearly 30% tax.
dredbeast t1_iwstchx wrote
The taxes were already included in the price prior to the law change when they were state run. After the change we added another middleman, and the state was going to get their same cut.
hyrailer t1_iwuk655 wrote
"...their same cut" is taxes. You are implying that the state-operated stores made a profit, which they did not. Costco and Safeway, the two corporations that lobbied aggressively for the chance to sell you alcohol at a +30% markup (but told everyone they'd sell it cheaper because of their size), also collects the same alcohol taxes. Are you paying less, as they told you would happen? Definitely not. Did it create any new jobs? No. Actually, over 5,500 state employees attached to state liquor sales lost their jobs.
Much of this discussion is fed by republicans who would like to think they somehow "owned the libs" by taking away government control of a commodity and handing it over to 2 large corporations so they can make a huge profit. The truth is, everyone now pays a lot more, because you were duped.
doublediggler t1_iwtk8co wrote
Would you like to have a bunch of small liquor stores pop up close to your neighborhood? Imagine what that would do to your property values. Much more sensible to sell alcohol at established big box stores.
Paid_Corporate_Shill t1_iwuyczb wrote
A bunch? Realistically every neighborhood only needs one. It’d be cool to be able to walk to a liquor store rather than get in the car and go to Fred Meyer.
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