Goodbye, and Hello

As I mentioned in my last post, there is going to be a major change in this blog.

I'm going to stop writing it.

I have accepted a full-time position as managing editor of Whisky Advocate magazine, which starts today. Part of the terms of employment were that my writing is to be exclusive to the magazine, so I agreed to stop writing further on this blog.

However...the blog will go on. "Albert Brooks," an active proponent of privatization who has supplied ideas for posts to me in the past (and a tireless researcher of the PLCB's financials), and Joe Richards, who writes the 1WineDude blog, have agreed to post here on an occasional basis to keep things moving along. I welcome them, and thank them, and hope you'll enjoy what they have to say.

This means a lot to me. I've wanted "Albert" (yes, it's a pseudonym, and I understand and support his reasons) to have a broader forum for some time. Joe will add a new dimension to the blog. I've always wanted to have more about wine here, because it's a vitally important reason for privatization, and I simply don't know that much about it.

So this is going to work well. I'll still be reading, of course, and I'll still be moderating the comments; same rules apply, so only make personal assaults on Albert and Joe if you want to be the only person who reads them! Stay on topic, and we'll be fine.

I'll also encourage you to read what Jon Geeting has to say about State Store privatization at the Keystone Politics blog; I do, and I've quoted him frequently here and on Twitter. Jon and I don't agree 100% on how privatization should be done -- I don't think any two Pennsylvanians do! -- but he eloquently makes the case for liquor privatization from a Progressive standpoint, showing how this is not your usual "privatization" issue.

I truly hope that the major reason for the blog staying open will go away after the September session of the Legislature...but that's not the way to bet. We'll see. Good luck to everyone involved in the fight for privatization. Remember:

PRIVATIZATION IS MODERNIZATION!

Accept no substitutes!