Jolt
Afternoon Jolt: Fund Transfer Grabs Liquor Revenue From Cities
Today's Loser: Seattle (and every other city in the state)
The state senate took a run at the 2011 Supplemental Budget last week and came up with an extra $32 million in savings—$6 million of which is a fund transfer from the Liquor Revolving Account. That account sends a portion of state liquor profits backs to cities and counties each year to fund social programs and public safety. For Seattle, that corresponds to a drop of nearly $700,000 to the city's 2011 general fund---money that pays for things like the city's winter shelter, crime prevention, and domestic-violence prevention programs.
The amendment to the House's original supplemental budget bill mandates that "the portion of the liquor profits that would go to local governments are suspended and instead will be deposited into the Auto Theft Prevention Account.” The Association of Washington Cities claims that money from the Auto Theft Prevention Account, though used for public safety, is only available to a select number of cities through "competitive grants."
Meanwhile, the millions sent in profits from liquor sales to Seattle is spent on locally oriented programs.
This transfer should sound familiar. During last year's election cycle opponents of two liquor privatization initiatives argued that privatizing stores would empty local government coffers. Voters rejected those initiatives only to watch Democrats siphon that money away from cities and counties anyway.
Today's Winner: State Liquor Stores
A recent survey commissioned by Governor Chris Gregoire found that Washington residents are pretty happy with the state's liquor monopoly. Eighty-nine percent of residents surveyed gave liquor store workers an "A" and 87 percent said the stores were conveniently located.
Meanwhile, when asked what liquor stores could improve, only 16 percent supported outright privatization. Twenty-seven percent said stores shouldn't do anything.
The state senate took a run at the 2011 Supplemental Budget last week and came up with an extra $32 million in savings—$6 million of which is a fund transfer from the Liquor Revolving Account. That account sends a portion of state liquor profits backs to cities and counties each year to fund social programs and public safety. For Seattle, that corresponds to a drop of nearly $700,000 to the city's 2011 general fund---money that pays for things like the city's winter shelter, crime prevention, and domestic-violence prevention programs.
The amendment to the House's original supplemental budget bill mandates that "the portion of the liquor profits that would go to local governments are suspended and instead will be deposited into the Auto Theft Prevention Account.” The Association of Washington Cities claims that money from the Auto Theft Prevention Account, though used for public safety, is only available to a select number of cities through "competitive grants."
Meanwhile, the millions sent in profits from liquor sales to Seattle is spent on locally oriented programs.
This transfer should sound familiar. During last year's election cycle opponents of two liquor privatization initiatives argued that privatizing stores would empty local government coffers. Voters rejected those initiatives only to watch Democrats siphon that money away from cities and counties anyway.
Today's Winner: State Liquor Stores
A recent survey commissioned by Governor Chris Gregoire found that Washington residents are pretty happy with the state's liquor monopoly. Eighty-nine percent of residents surveyed gave liquor store workers an "A" and 87 percent said the stores were conveniently located.
Meanwhile, when asked what liquor stores could improve, only 16 percent supported outright privatization. Twenty-seven percent said stores shouldn't do anything.
