PLCB's Joe Conti: MIA?

Check out this "happy talk" story in MarketWatch about PLCB Chairman PJ Stapleton being confirmed to his 4th term as a PLCB board member (by a vote of 47-0 in the Senate). A couple pertinent quotes:

"As I continue to work with fellow board members Tom Goldsmith and Bob Marcus, as well as the more than 4,000 valued employees of the PLCB team, I will remain mindful of the confidence and goodwill the Governor and the Senate have shown me.

Hey, that's funny...no mention of the contributions of PLCB CEO Joe Conti? Or even a mention of his name?

"The next four years will be exciting for the PLCB. We are planning many changes to our statewide network of 620 Wine & Spirits stores. These will be highlighted by vast improvements in the look and feel of the stores, and a renewed commitment to customer service and employee education.

If I might be permitted...WTF? You don't need to improve the stores: you've got a frickin' monopoly, Pennsylvanians have to shop there. And you don't need to educate your employees...they're not even allowed to recommend specific wines! At least, that's the excuse we've always been given for them knowing next to nothing. Maybe that's all lies. On the other hand, if you're educating them on how to handle customers who ask for things they've never heard of, without being a jerk about it, more power to ya.

"We will also maintain our focus on vital regulatory functions, ensuring that the beverage alcohol industry adheres to the laws of the commonwealth; and on
alcohol education programs, helping to reduce the serious problems of underage and high-risk drinking. Finally, we will continue to look for ways to operate more efficiently and economically, to generate revenue that will benefit all citizens of the commonwealth."

Well, God forbid you should focus on regulatory functions that benefit the ability of the citizens of the Commonwealth to get a good drink at a fair price. And yo, I think you know what you can do to operate more efficiently and economically: get the State out of the booze business.

I cannot understand why we put up with this one day longer. This is a bureaucracy that simply should not even exist.