Mustio: Uncorking the Pros of Liquor Privatization

This week’s Headline Harrisburg report “uncorks” just some of the government-limiting aspects of liquor privatization that await Pennsylvanians under House Bill 790.

First of all, our current state-run liquor system was created in 1933 by then-Gov. Gifford Pinchot, who declared that the PA Liquor Control Board’s mission was to make liquor sales “as inconvenient and expensive as possible.”

When you consider that now only two states, Pennsylvania and Utah, still maintain complete control over wholesale and retail operations, the LCB’s original mission statement becomes even more antiquated and prohibitionist.

Not surprisingly, the public overwhelmingly and consistently agrees. Opinion poll, after opinion poll, confirms the same thing: Pennsylvania consumers overwhelming support getting government out of the liquor business to improve overall selection, lower prices and promote greater competition in the purchase of their wine and spirits.

Again, House Bill 790 delivers on all of these counts. 

Perhaps worst of all, our present state-store system is a dinosaur of bureaucracy with an inherent conflict of interest. Talk about repeating insanity while expecting a different result; our state promotes the sale of alcoholic beverages through its state-store system, while at the same time, the government also tries to reduce abusive consumption through its education and enforcement efforts.

In short, the current system has turned many Pennsylvanians into confessed bootleggers traveling to neighboring states to purchase wine and spirits.

Containing my commonsense liquor privatization amendment to end full government control of wine and spirits sales in the Commonwealth, House Bill 790 marks the most expansive wine and spirit privatization legislation to be considered by the PA House since the end of Prohibition and the institution of the current state store system.

House Bill 790 is now awaiting consideration in the state Senate. I will continue to highlight the many benefits liquor privatization holds for Pennsylvania in the coming weeks.  
   

Motorists encouraged to report potholes on state roads

Pennsylvania drivers are encouraged to contact PennDOT to report potholes and other problems on state roads.

Based on the caller’s phone number, calls are directed to local PennDOT maintenance facilities where problems can receive the appropriate attention. In addition to reporting potholes, motorists may also report missing highway signs, shoulder drop-offs, roadway washouts and other potential hazards.

Callers are encouraged to:

• Report the county and municipality where the problem is located
•  Report the state route number
• Describe familiar landmarks near the pothole, so PennDOT crews can identify the location.

The toll-free maintenance hotline can be reached at 1-800-FIX-ROAD (1-800-349-7623). Visit RepMustio.com and Facebook.com/RepMustio for the latest legislative updates.