Bonneville Research, a private firm that helps state and city agencies be more fiscally sound was hired by the state to come up with a business plan to find out how to save liquor stores from further closures and to make more money.
They will present their $100,000, 83-page report to a legislative committee today to the Business and Labor Interim Commission. Bonneville proposes to expand the sale of alcohol in grocery stores. One of sections titled "Immediate Recommended Actions" lists one action for a test Package Agency program using grocery stores.
So what does this mean?
In all likelihood, nothing. Senator Valentine, the chairman of the Business and Labor Interim Commission has made his position very clear that access to alcoholic beverages is something that must be a difficult as humanly possible and hidden from everyone at any cost. This part of the meeting will likely be white noise in his ears because his mind is clearly already made up.
When asked, Sen. John Valentine, told FOX 13 news he is curious and wants answers. Republican Rep. Ryan Wilcox had proposed the state get out of the business of selling alcohol, but keep the state's liquor control status.
Bonneville Research's plan also includes consolidating stores; re-opening the Cottonwood Heights liquor store; hiring a new DABC director with significant retail experience.
I'll be at that meeting this morning and will hopfully have some info on it later. So what do you think, Is this all just minutia or a real possibility?
Cheers!
9 comments:
I don't think the religious faction in our state will allow the "absurdities" seen in other nearby states.
I think this is pure minutia, there is no way that the state will allow alcohol to be displayed and sold in grocery stores. We all know it makes economic sense, however that is not the issue to those currently making policy. Utah is not alone in this, there are a number of states that do not allow liquor and such to be sold in grocery stores. Our neighbor to the east is one of them.
Anyway, back to the topic of your question, no they will not follow the recommendations and allow alcohol to be sold in grocery stores.
Cheers
Geoff
I just left the meeting. Apparently the study would like to have the state look at creating more privatized Package Agencies.
For instance, the 6th Ave liquor store adjacent to Smith's. It would run and operate the store on it's property but liquor would not be inside the store, rather in an adjacent store that Smith's can operate. This would save the state money in property, bonds, leases etc.
Makes sense, right? Well not to Senator Valentine. He said, (say it with me) "it promotes over consumption". It's like broken f'n record.
Mikey my friend, did you truly expect a different outcome?
Then we as taxpayers wasted $100K for that 83-pages of paper. Changes need to be made, and enough people up on the hill are saying this, but in the end the only changes they will be willing to make won't make a GD dent in anything. These things are such a joke.
Has Senator Valentine made any effort to define "over consumption"? I'm assuming the man is of LDS faith and would define it as any consumption.
It is possible that the laws of Utah are only increasing consumption by employing the "forbidden fruit effect", wherever a good is prohibited, demand increases. This is apparently the cause of Utah having the highest online porn subscription rate per capita as evidenced by a 2009 Harvard study (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705288350/Utah-No-1-in-online-porn-subscriptions-report-says.html?pg=2).
The truth is the legislature of Utah needs to put their religious convictions aside and allow the people to choose for themselves what they will consume. In the process they will probably benefit their economy and create more jobs for their constituents. But given their track record this is probably all minutiae
Do we have a link for the 83 page study? I would like to take a look at it.
Cheers,
Scott
I don't think they ever published the study. Here's the story from the trib. It highlights the major points you may be looking for.
http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id=52925708
@FishDawg. No. I didn't expect anything different. I know the players too well. I did enjoy watching Valentine become more and more anoyed as the study (that they paid for) veered farther and farther from his narrow view.
Religious faction is right...Scholars believe it's more likely Jesus made beer out of water not wine. Although wine was common, it's pointed out that wine is made from juice, beers base is water.
The point being, Mormons dont believe in the real Jesus, otherwise, they would not only love their enemies, but love "non" Mormons. Their Jesus is some white dude dressed as Brian David Mitchell. Jesus wasn't a Mormon He was Jewish! and he certainly drank alcohol.
Sorry but I am so sick of their hypocrisy, what happened to freedom, seperation of church and state. They don't follow their own "religion". It is a cult, everyone knows it. from now on Mormons are non-Normals.
I dont know where this came from, maybe Sunday.
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