Chris Grygiel at the PI.com has a story on some math that opponents of Costco's total liquor privatization bill are shopping around today.

The opponents, who are pushing their own plan to only privatize distribution, argue that for the Costco plan to pencil out, booze sales would have to increase dramatically—something voters worried about when they rejected a similar ballot measure last year.

The PI reports:

Senate Bill  5933 was introduced introduced Tuesday at Costco’s behest. It would direct that all state liquor stores be closed by Sept. 1, 2012. The Liquor Control Board would be required to sell all state spirits assets. Private operators would be allowed to purchase the right – via auction – to run liquor stores in Washington. The measure’s sponsors say the aim is to increase revenue to the state from booze sales.

But Sandeep Kaushik, spokesman for the Washington Beverage Company, said 5933 only pencils out if there’s a “massive increase in liquor consumption, which is exactly what the voters were concerned about last year.” (Click here and here to see WBC’s numbers)

Two liquor privatization initiatives – one supported by Costco – were rejected in the November 2010 Legislature. Seattlepi.com is seeking comment from Costco and Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue, sponsor of SB 5933.

The WBC, which was created to lobby for the  distribution privatization plan, says its idea would generate a total of $479 million for the state in the first five years of a 20-year lease. That figure includes $300 million, up-front payment. Kaushik says the Costco plan would only deliver about $392 million during the same time frame.