Pinnacle Business Management (Prev SRCI)

[janice shell]

I'm happy to. Pennsylvania has the most bizarre State Store system I know of. Everything involving alcohol is run by the State Liquor Control Board. That, of course, is a patronage pork barrel.

--You can buy "wine and spirits" only at State Stores. You CANNOT buy mixers of any kind at State Stores. They don't deliver. About a year ago they made a groundbreaking decision to open for a few hours on Sunday. Another innovation: you can order wine on their website. But you have to go to the store to pick it up, so what's the point?

--You can only buy beer at two types of stores. The first is the "package store". There you must buy it by the case. You may also buy mixers and soft drinks at package stores. Some, not all, also sell cigarettes and cigars. The second type is the "bar" or "pizzeria". They're allowed to sell beer by the sixpack only. If they're delivery pizza joints, they can't deliver beer.

--You can't buy wine or any other type of alcohol online for delivery from out of state.

--State Stores (though not package stores) are closed for all Federal holidays.

--Prices are high, despite the fact that Pennsylvania is the largest SINGLE buyer of wine and spirits in the country. We pay all kinds of idiotic taxes, one of them imposed--I'm not making this up--more than a hundred years ago to raise money for victims of the Johnstown Flood.

It's absolutely ridiculous.