Our disfunctional State
June 22, 2010
I realize that I may not be saying anything that is not already widely known, but I have to vent my frustrations anyway. First of all, I do not drink. I have never had even one; and I doubt that I ever will. It does not fit my lifestyle. But, I am well aware that there are others who do. And, since our national experiment in prohibition ended in failure, purchasing and consuming alcholic beverages in legal, even in Utah. (We still think we can engage in marijuana prohibition, which is equally stupid, but that is a subject for another day). In fact, in Utah it is the State that sells the alcohol, thought a network of State liquor stores. Needless to say, we mark up the price a bit more than other places which allow private sales. In other words, this is the one State activity that MAKES A PROFIT! And it is substantial profit, bringing in money for many other State government activities.
And here is the crazy (and I do mean crazy) part. The legislature cut budgets across the board this year, due to decreased tax revenues. And State liquor stores were cut as well. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that, in line with legislative guideleines, the State liquor-control board today voted to close one liquor store, and to cut hours at 16 others, the busiest in the State. In other words, to save money on salaries ond other expenses, they cut their profits by an even greater amount. THE STATE DELIBERATELY CUT ITS PROFITS TO SAVE MONEY!
In any other Staste, the people who thought this up would be immediately fired. In Utah, of course, it isn't really about the money. It is about making sure that nobody thinks we approve of this terrible habit in our midst. And, if State spending must be cut, the liquor stores must be cut, even though we are losing more money than we are saving!
If this isn't enough to make you disgusted with "politics as usual", it sure should be. Citzens of Utah, rise up and throw the rascals out. You have nothing to lose but a bunch of idiots who "lead" us.
I realize that I may not be saying anything that is not already widely known, but I have to vent my frustrations anyway. First of all, I do not drink. I have never had even one; and I doubt that I ever will. It does not fit my lifestyle. But, I am well aware that there are others who do. And, since our national experiment in prohibition ended in failure, purchasing and consuming alcholic beverages in legal, even in Utah. (We still think we can engage in marijuana prohibition, which is equally stupid, but that is a subject for another day). In fact, in Utah it is the State that sells the alcohol, thought a network of State liquor stores. Needless to say, we mark up the price a bit more than other places which allow private sales. In other words, this is the one State activity that MAKES A PROFIT! And it is substantial profit, bringing in money for many other State government activities.
And here is the crazy (and I do mean crazy) part. The legislature cut budgets across the board this year, due to decreased tax revenues. And State liquor stores were cut as well. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that, in line with legislative guideleines, the State liquor-control board today voted to close one liquor store, and to cut hours at 16 others, the busiest in the State. In other words, to save money on salaries ond other expenses, they cut their profits by an even greater amount. THE STATE DELIBERATELY CUT ITS PROFITS TO SAVE MONEY!
In any other Staste, the people who thought this up would be immediately fired. In Utah, of course, it isn't really about the money. It is about making sure that nobody thinks we approve of this terrible habit in our midst. And, if State spending must be cut, the liquor stores must be cut, even though we are losing more money than we are saving!
If this isn't enough to make you disgusted with "politics as usual", it sure should be. Citzens of Utah, rise up and throw the rascals out. You have nothing to lose but a bunch of idiots who "lead" us.
posted by Andrew McCullough @ 8:37 PM
1 Comments:
At 2:39 AM,
RD said…
"It is about making sure that nobody thinks we approve of this terrible habit in our midst."
If it was only that, The conservatives need budget shortfalls and deficits in order to continue their perpetual revolution. If they can design the current year budget cuts to cause the next years budget problems all the better.
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