Here in New Hampshire, beer and wine are available at grocery stores, convenience stores, general stores. Liquor can only be purchased at the 77 state-owned, state-run liquor stores scattered around the state.
You may be familiar with this type of system for the sale of alcoholic beverages.
I stopped in a state store — one of their specialty wine & spirits stores — this afternoon. I’m not familiar with a lot of Washington’s liquor prices, so I couldn’t make anything like a comprehensive comparison between NH and WA prices. But there’s one particular item that I do know about, because I bought a bottle of it a few weeks ago back home in Seattle. That was before the privatization change-over. IOW, before the prices went up.
I paid $44.95 for a 1.75 liter bottle of Bombay Dry Gin (not the Sapphire variant) in a Washington state store. By all indications, were I to buy it today (I’m not really sure where it’s sold these days), that bottle would cost somewhat more than that.
New Hampshire was having a sale on Bombay today, charging $3.00 less than its standard list price. So that 1.75L bottle wouldn’t have set me back the usual $27.99; I could have walked out of that state store with it after putting a $24.99 charge on my credit card.
For the numerically-minded, the price at the New Hampshire store was only 54.3% of the Washington state store price (the regular price would have been 60.9%). The NH price would be an even smaller proportion of the private-store Washington price, or so I’m told.
Ain’t privatization grand?
Sorry N, but you’ve missed the mark on this post.
The price of alcohol in WA state is due to tax revenues, not privatization. WA has no income tax and therefore must make up its revenue deficiency by other, regressive taxes such as significant taxes on booze. (Interestingly NH apparently doesn’t have an income tax either, so I wonder where their tax revenues come from? Maybe someone will chime in, but I’ve really got to get back to work.)
The price of your Gin was considerably higher in WA than NH even when we had the liquor stores open. The fact that it may be even higher today is, again, the result of taxes. But, even that is a hollow hypothesis because the best you can do is surmise that, “were I to buy it today (I’m not really sure where it’s sold these days), that bottle would cost somewhat more than that.”
I’m not here defending alcohol privatization–I was so conflicted on the initiative that I punted and left my ballot blank. Rather, I’m just saying that this post really doesn’t live up to the compelling, coherent writing I usually see on HA.
@1:
New Hampshire has neither income tax nor sales tax. It does have some sort of unearned income tax (not sure whether it’s capital gains, dividends, or both). But rather little goes to the state from that tax.
Property taxes are fairly high, and that’s a major portion of the state’s revenues. Two other big sources are “tourist” taxes, like restaurant meals and hotel rooms, and sin taxes. Even with (what NH considers to be) lots of taxes on alcohol and tobacco, they’re still cheaper than surrounding states.
Which is why the busiest state stores are located just inside the state line on interstate highways. In fact, the one on southbound I-95 in Hampton actually has a dedicated exit off the highway.
In sum, New Hampshire thinks it taxes alcohol pretty highly. There isn’t a standard sales tax, so that certainly contributes some of the price difference.
I do agree that WA prices were higher than NH’s when it was state-run. So it was a tad hyperbolic to write this post. But the larger points are: a) with privatization, they’re even higher, and b) a state-operated retail liquor business can be run economically, pleasantly, and with good selection.
Maybe I should have mentioned all the Wine Spectator ratings plastered on the wine racks and the knowledgeable helpfulness of the store’s staff.
Numbnuts in seattle,
Stop fucking crying about already, pay your money, and stfu.
You bitch about paying a few extra bucks for booze, yet you support large tax increases…dumb ass cant even see the irony in that.
Let me make it simple for a simpleton like yourself: the state has no business being in the retail business…..get it yet dummy?
@1 “The fact that it may be even higher today is, again, the result of taxes.”
Not so. State taxes stayed the same. What changed is a retailer profit is now tacked on. Plus Costco has to get its $20 million back. (You didn’t really think they were going to pay for the initiative did you?)
@3 “yet you support large tax increases”
What large tax increases? Tax revenues have crashed at city, county, state, and federal levels.
well fuck it then, lets have the sell screwdrivers, tampons, and dixie cups too…
I tend to find a lot to agree with on HA, but this is just about the dumbest post I’ve read on a blog recently. Let’s review the facts included:
Cost of bottle of liquor at WA state run store:
$44.95
Cost of same bottle at NH state run store:
$24.99
Conclusion:
Privatization of liquor makes it more expensive!
This isn’t even a sin of drawing broad conclusions from an anecdote…there isn’t even a related anecdote! You bought liquor at two state run stores in different states and one of them was significantly cheaper. Privatization has what to do with this?
Do you actually have any reading comprehension?
N is typical of most bloggers and activist types: not one shred of fucking common sense.
@3, there is nothing inconsistent about holding the opinion that regressive taxes on liquor aren’t great policy while thinking that a progressive state income tax would be good policy. Two completely different things.
I didn’t vote for privatization, I read the voter’s pamphlet which said the state liquor tax was not going away. Of course prices are higher, state liquor clerks were only paid $12 per hour while Safeway, Costco, and other outlets big enough to sell liquor pay their clerks over $20 per hour. Besides the CEO’s and stock owners of those stores want their blood money!
What’s even worst than the price is that it is not a one stop shopping anymore. I like Gordon’s Gin, can’t find it at the stores in the town I live. I also like Dekuyper Crème De Cocoa and their Blackberry Flavored Brandy, can’t find it either or any other brand of that flavor. I sure it is some where but I don’t have time to run around looking for it. It has become very inconvenient to buy what was available before when stores don’t carry what the state liquor store use to carry.
Since I am retired military I’ll have to go to the military package store. I am sure they will have all the brands like the state liquor store has. They did before I don’t know why they wouldn’t now. But because the military package stores are so far away I’ll have to plan for a special trip unlike the days when the state store was only a couple blocks away.
Coming to a city near you: Washington State Pizza Store..
it’s funny how you LIBS went SOOOOOO far to attack 1183. I thought that it was going to kill kids, hurt puppies and ruin rainbows. With higher prices (as with tobacco) usage will decrease. So in a way, privatization did EXACTLY what the primary argument against 1183 said it wouldn’t do, which is decrease usage.
You obviously haven’t done your research on 1183. First of all, after almost 8 decades, private owners are now allowed to sell alcohol and you fools think the system is going to be what you want within 2 weeks? Second of all, it included a distributor “FEE” that was put in place to ensure there would be NO loss in Revenue for the state (Funny how libs hate paying taxes when it’s something they need to sleep at night). That “Fee” goes away in the second year. Silly liberals, thinking is for conservatives!
Washington State Tampon Dispensary Store
Washington State Discount Furniture Store
cmon y’all! lets have Olympia sell everything!
Let’s not forget to mention that the alcohol taxes, and the cigarette taxes, are paid disproportionately by the lower-earning segments of our society.
Those taxes then get counted when liberals moan that the lower earners pay a higher proportion of their income than higher earners.
Well, duh. One of the reasons we are higher earners is that we don’t blow our wad to get fucked up after work. We can get out of bed in the morning and we can think on the job.
Heh. And you’re “thinking” no way is Rob McKenna touching your union’s collective bargaining rights like his role model Walker before him.
Nice being bought off. Divide and conquer.
I GOT IT!
STATE OWNED BLOGS!
WINNER!
Washington State Muffler Shop
Washington State Mattress Store
Washington State Sporting Goods
Washington State Yogurt Store
Washington State Pawn Shop
where does it end?
“Ain’t privatization grand?”
So what’s your alternative? Governemnt control of everything?
I like my gin as much as the next guy, but it’s a luxury item. As such it should be and is taxed like a luxury item. What’s the big deal? If people can’t afford it, maybe they shouldn’t buy it.
@26 “So what’s your alternative? Governemnt control of everything?”
That’s some extrapolation! Despite Washington’s commie liquor stores, the Comrades still lost the Cold War. It was close, though.
@17 “we can think”
Really? you fooled me.
Liquor is privatized in California. You can get a liter of Tanqueray at Costco for about $25, compared to about $47 here. It has nothing to do with privatization.
Myself, I voted for privatization mostly because I couldn’t stand the scary lies promulgated by the “anti” forces. I think a lot of people felt the same way.