Thursday, August 27, 2015

The PLCB benefits the PLCB

The PLCB makes decisions that work for the PLCB, no matter how many crocodile tears they shed over the prospect of privatization 'limiting the choices in rural counties.' Just ask the people in Lewisburg. They know all too much about how PLCB decisions get made.

News leaked on March 10th that the State Store located in downtown Lewisburg might be moving. The PLCB had not made any announcement nor had they talked to the residents or businesses before making the decision.
We don't care what you want, you'll take what we give you!
Seeing the precarious health of downtown threatened by the loss of the retail store, the community organized. Due to the outcry and involvement of local legislators and a letter writing campaign the PLCB backed off, and said that there was still a chance the store would remain downtown. Guess what? They lied. Even after meeting with State Senator Gene Yaw and local Representative Fred Keller (Hmmmm...both supporters of the privatization bill) in May and again stating that no decision had been made, they were actively looking for a new location. Apparently the $12.75 million in mostly state money used for downtown revitalization since 2012 meant nothing to the PLCB.

Even the option of keeping a smaller store downtown was rejected, though the PLCB keeps lots of small stores open, even stores in close proximity to each other. Newtown Square is a prime example, with two stores within 400 feet of each other. Talk about a liquor store on every corner!

This is not the first time the heavy hand of the PLCB has come down against the wishes of the citizens, citizens who are supposedly the owners of this "valuable asset," as Wendell W. Young IV always puts it. This is a case of the workers telling the owners what to do, then.

This is the same thing as happened in Lock Haven. As I wrote in the Lock Haven post: for 80 years the PLCB has only been concerned with itself, deciding what we should be allowed to buy, where to put stores, how many stores to have (there were over 750 at one point, there are 605 now), and when they should be open. They are like some overbearing, deaf deity, ineptly bestowing its grace upon the masses.

The masses are getting sick and tired of it. Sick of a system that should have been done away with decades ago, sick of being told what they will be allowed to purchase by largely unknowing and incompetent overseers, sick of not having the convenience they see in other states, sick of the case law, sick of arbitrary "interpretations," sick of graft and corruption, and sick of being treated like children.

So the next time you hear that the PLCB benefits all Pennsylvanians, just don't ask the people of Lewisburg or Lock Haven. And the next time you hear Wendell W. Young IV tell us that we OWN this valuable asset...ask him if he knows where we can SELL IT.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's shameful is that of all three state stores in the Newtown Square zip code, NONE have the premium collection. Two do at least have art on the walls, but the most popular store in Newtown Square is old and dumpy...

Anonymous said...

As for the situation in Lewisburg (and all the other places losing their downtown state stores)... I'm no expert about this, but I highly suspect those stores are losing money. Even if not, it's mindblowing how the larger state stores outperform the smaller ones. And I'm sure lots of people would be more than happy to drive farther to shop at a large state store even if a small one were closer to home.

Albert Brooks said...

The Lewisburg store is the largest selling store in the area. While the new store is going to be larger it is only by about 1200 sq ft (4300 to 5500) Not really that drastic a change and with the new style stores stocking less SKUS per sqft it may not have that much more to choose from.

Anonymous said...

The downtown store on Third Street in HARRISBURG was ranked the most underperforming store in the chain in 2012. Also, there was an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer criticizing the urban Philly state stores for mostly being downtown locations with no parking and far from supermarkets. So it's no wonder the PLCB wants to get rid of these stores.

Anonymous said...

Henry's Drive Padthaway Pillar Box Red 2010, the current vintage available. $7.99 on the state store's website. The SLO $13.99 is a different SKU. Canal's has it listed for $13.99, as does Total. Canal's website does not list any Pillar Box Red for $8.99, so you must have simply made that up. You just don't have the facts right regarding PA wine sales. The 11,000 listed on Total's website are not all in stock. Most are special order, just like the close to 8,000 available in PA special order, in addition to the over 5,000 available in store.

PLCB sucks for a lot of reasons, but wine shopping is simply not one of them.

Albert Brooks said...

You seem to be confused in your posting on websites but I am used to that from some folks. No matter, In your post of the other webpage you said nothing about Henry's Drive Padthaway Pillar Box Red 2010, you said Pillar Box Red. The price for Pillar Box Red is $13.29 as I posted. Look for yourself.
https://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/Product_Management/psi_ProductListPage_Inter.asp?searchPhrase=Pillar+Box&selTyp=&selTypS=&selTypW=&selTypA=&CostRange=&searchCode=&submit=Search

I'm sorry that my mind reading wasn't up to your expectations and I'm sorry that you don't know how to use the internet.
http://mycanals.com/australia/red-blends-en-2/pillar-box-red-2009.html

Lastly, Total doesn't list special orders on their websites so what you see is what they actually have in stock at that store. The 11,154 is the amount that they have in stock at ALL their stores of just red wine. The 5,303 is what PA has in stock at ALL their stores. You may check that out yourself if you wish or not it doesn't really matter to me. As shown, the ONE store in Claymont DE has 5100 red wines in stock http://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/c/000009?viewall=true&storename=204,203,101 The hint is that they all say Add to Cart and not Order for later delivery or something to that effect.

So it turns out I do have all the facts based on the information you gave. If you want to change it and try again that is up to you. The bottom line is that the PLCB can not, does not nor will they ever equal what is available in the private market.