I-1183 Narrowly Ahead in Washington Poll
Half of the respondents are likely to support the liquor privatization measure.
Posted by: Christopher Werner on Nov 02, 2011 at 09:09AM
5 Comments
On Monday the Washington Poll, the survey wonk based out of UW, released stats from an analysis of just over 930 Evergreen voters. Among the findings: half of the respondents are leaning toward spendy liquor privatization measure 1183 (more on the Costco-backed I-1183 here). Forty-three percent are against it, and seven percent remain undecided.
Meanwhile, in recent days a slew of statewide orgs have come out voicing their opposition to the initiative, including the public health, medical, and nurses associations and International Community Health Services. Governor Gregoire has also naysaid the measure.
How do local distilleries feel about it? Read on.
Tags: Booze News, Liquor Laws, Initiative 1183
No mention at all about the support the Yes side is getting? The media has focused on Costco’s money in the race (that’s necessary to combat a very vicious and misleading campaign from the No’s), but said very little about the broad support it gets from business organizations, firefighters, law enforcement officials, local government leaders. 1183 is primarily fighting against unions and out-of-state liquor sellers — it’s that simple. I just think some balance is appropriate if you’re putting info out on which people will make a decision about public policy.
There are three things with I-1183 that stick out like a sore thumb. The quadrupling of stores in Washington that sell hard liquor, the ungodly sum of $22 million that Costco’s spending to get this initiative passed, and the 900 plus people that will lose their jobs if it passes. Add those together, and there’s no way I can vote for this initiative.
I am four months new with my own contract liquor store. Most of my customers had or have no idea that actually about half of the state stores are run by small business owners. 1183 will put me out of business simply because I am in an “anchored” plaza with a large supermarket. This initiative is completely about Costco making money and nothing to do with state run liquor stores. If Costco did not want the state in the liquor business this initiative would be exactly about that. If I were to do my own poll, in my little world here at the store where we have a great customer base, 90% of my customers are voting NO.
What sense does it make to balance your vote on the amount of money spent on a vote? If that were the true guiding way of voting you would never vote again for a President, Governor or a Senator.
Have you ever been to a state without state run liquor store system? Do you really believe citizens of 43 other states die at a higher rate then Washington citizens due to the state run distribution of hard liquor?
If so then the ‘NO’ ads should be extolling this proof instead the ‘NO’ vote uses baseless opinion, conjecture and speculative statements to defend the current distribution system.
If a state sponsored liquor store could really control the problem drinker, offered reasonable pricing and any where near the selection of a non state controlled distribution system then I would whole heartedly agree with you and vote ‘NO’. State run/protected business stores do not offer competitive pricing or offer the selection of the other states private market system. Do you really believe 43 states are doing it wrong and Washington state is doing it right? Come on this is the Washington state government in a business, how can they really do it better then private industry?
It does not mean it controls the end user sale point better then a system that already sells beer and wine. Where’s the real proof that state run stores control end point sales better then a private business? If a private business gets caught selling to minors they face high penalties and may lose the liquor license; what happens to a state store?
State government is for regulatory and law enforcement only.
For profit business is for private companies not a monopoly controlled state government distribution system. Last I checked a monopoly business is against the law.
Where is the ‘NO’ money coming from?
For every ‘YES’ commercial I see at least one if not two ‘NO’ commercials.
If we are a true democratic free enterprise society then state government has no business selling any product. You are speaking of a socialist government not a democratic one that I thought we were living in. State run liquor store cannot compete when people are presented with a free trade alternative. How many of those people in your store will pass Costco to go to the state liquor store?
Free enterprise will eventually prevail as a monopoly is illegal no matter how you twist the truth.
The loss of a few government-protected jobs is not reason enough to vote down 1183. The deceptive fear-based campaign against it waged by big liquor interests might be.
It is bizarre for the state to own and operate its own monopoly retail channel selling one category of product. If it were really a public safety play the state would also be the sole purveyor of cigarettes, Sudafed and bacon cheeseburgers. The real rationale for state liquor stores is to keep their workers in cushy jobs and please the liquor interests by setting prices artificially high.
At a time like this in our fiscal history, it’s ridiculous to have the state controlling the booze business — spending milliions on staff, stores and infrastructure when private retailers can bring these products to market more cheaply and efficiently. .. and with NO compromise on public safety. (The DUI stats in open-retail stats don’t differ significantly from ours.)
The state liquor system is an idiotic, obsolete relic of a dead era, and voters will do well to support 1183.