Sauced

Dollars Adding Up Fast on Both Sides of the New Booze Initiative

Publicola has the numbers.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Sep 21, 2011 at 10:17AM 0 Comments

Here’s Britney at a liquor store with her sunglasses on. (“So, lahk, y’all can’t recognize me and stuff.”)

A month and a half ahead of Election Day, and total moneys raised on both sides of liquor privatization are already approaching last year’s numbers, Publicola reported Tuesday.

The deep-pocketed, private-liquor-initiative-loving Costco has contributed five million dollars to the cause, about 96 percent of total funds raised in favor of I-1183, the privatization initiative upon which we will vote this November.

But Protect Our Communities—that’s what the anti-privatization people are calling themselves—beat out the big-box chain, raising $6.1 million via contributions from interested parties like Hood River Distillers and Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America.

So together, that adds up to 11.1 million bucks spent for and against privatization this year so far. The total amount raised last year to promote and defeat Costco’s I-1100 was $15 million.

Read the full article on Publicola.

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Tags: Liquor Laws, Costco, Liquor Privatization, Celebrities in Liquor Stores, Initiative 1183

Want to Learn More About the New Liquor Privatization Measures?

Head to Liberty this Sunday.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 24, 2011 at 12:00AM 0 Comments

Skinny Girl Margarita on shelves at the big boxes? Yes, if Costco has its way.

photo: portfolio.com

Liquor privatization is back: A new initiative filed Friday by Costco and friends proposes that only big-old retail operations—those covering more than 10,000 square feet—be eligible to sell liquor.

This is clearly a response to the anti-privatization campaign last November that focused on the dangers of selling booze at gas stations and convenience stores.

On Saturday, the State senate passed a measure (brokered by Republican Senator Joe Zarelli) allowing the WSLCB to solicit bids from private contractors interested in taking over distribution of booze. The plan is to put the feelers out and see what kind of money can be made by leasing it out. It’s just a toe dip towards privatization, really, but if it turns out the cash is there it could mean major changes in the way liquor makes it way to restaurants, bars and retailers.

Complicated stuff, this. If you find yourself wanting to know more, you can head to Liberty Bar on Capitol Hill this Sunday, May 29. At 12:30pm the bar will host a meeting to discuss the pros and cons of possible changes to our liquor laws.

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Tags: Liquor Laws, Costco, Liquor Privatization, Celebrities in Liquor Stores

Costco Backs Liquor Privatization Bill

The warehouse chain begins an in-store signature-collecting effort this week.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 01, 2010 at 08:32AM 4 Comments

Beginning this week, Costco employees will begin staffing tables set up inside each of the chain’s Washington warehouses, from which they will solicit customers to sign liquor privatization initiative 1100.

If voted into law this November, 1100 will take the state out of the liquor game entirely and immediately, requiring it to sell all its distribution warehouses.

Costco picked 1100 out of three current privatization proposals. Modernize Washington, the group that authored 1100, has withdrawn a second proposal, 1109, which suggested a more gradual departure from the three-tiered system. That leaves 1100 and a third proposal, 1105, sponsored by former Joe Mallahan spokesperson Charla Neuman.

A summary of 1105:
“This measure would direct the liquor control board to close all state liquor stores and to license qualified private parties as spirits retailers or distributors. It would require licensees to pay the state a percentage of their first five years of gross spirits sales; repeal certain taxes on retail spirits sales; and direct the board to recommend to the legislature a tax to be paid by spirits distributors.”

Modernize Washington needs 242,000 signatures to get 1100 on the November ballot. Backers of 1105 have not begun signature gathering.

Costco’s stake in this battle should be rather obvious—the Kirkland-based chain hopes to begin selling you 12-packs of family-sized Wild Turkey by this time next year.

Read the full text of 1100 on Modernize Washington’s website.

Read the full text of 1105 here.

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Tags: Liquor Laws, Costco, WSLCB, Liquor Privatization