Who actually supports the Montgomery County monopoly on alcohol sales?

[Anonymous]

Why on earth does Montgomery County have a monopoly on all alcohol sales. Its not just the monopoly for county liquor/beer/wine stores and not allowing the products to be sold in most other stores. They also control what restaurants can buy. How is this in any way helpful to MoCo citizens and consumers?

I can't believe anyone actually believes that dismantling this create a budget shortfall. If you dismantle the program, the county also then sheds all the expenses from running the huge department and stores. If there is any shortfall after getting rid of the county employees, rent, and expenses for all this then just put a tax on hard liquor, beer and wine like every other state.

I've never met anyone supportive of the county program. Its not a democratic thing and I can't see republicans being for it. Who keeps this thing going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why on earth does Montgomery County have a monopoly on all alcohol sales. Its not just the monopoly for county liquor/beer/wine stores and not allowing the products to be sold in most other stores. They also control what restaurants can buy. How is this in any way helpful to MoCo citizens and consumers?

I can't believe anyone actually believes that dismantling this create a budget shortfall. If you dismantle the program, the county also then sheds all the expenses from running the huge department and stores. If there is any shortfall after getting rid of the county employees, rent, and expenses for all this then just put a tax on hard liquor, beer and wine like every other state.

I've never met anyone supportive of the county program. Its not a democratic thing and I can't see republicans being for it. Who keeps this thing going?

Don't those taxes usually go to the state though, not the county?

[Anonymous]

Virginia has this too. You can only buy liquor at VA ABC stores. Pennsylvania is the same (and much stricter).

Can you not buy beer and wine in grocery stores in MD? VA allows that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia has this too. You can only buy liquor at VA ABC stores. Pennsylvania is the same (and much stricter).

Can you not buy beer and wine in grocery stores in MD? VA allows that.

But in VA you can get beer and wine everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia has this too. You can only buy liquor at VA ABC stores. Pennsylvania is the same (and much stricter).

Can you not buy beer and wine in grocery stores in MD? VA allows that.

But in VA you can get beer and wine everywhere.

That’s a state law in MD, not county. I want to know how to get it changed though.

The MoCo law requires that bars and restaurants buy their alcohol through the county rather than directly from distributors which effects their bottom line on alcohol sales and makes it less desirable to open a restaurant in the county.

[Anonymous]

Because it generates $30mln in annual revenue for the county, and provides 300 union jobs. So only a few politicians want to touch it, even though if you ask MoCo people on the street, they all want to get rid of this. We're the only county in MD that does this.

The revenue goes directly to MoCo because they operate the retail stores, and distribution to restaurants. So they take a nice margin on that business -- it's not a tax (that goes to MD) but rather the profits from sales and distribution.

Bill Frick was strongly in favor of getting rid of the monopoly, but the rest of the MoCo delegation turned him down so he never put it up for vote.

Elrich (County Exec) will never get rid of the monopoly because he's in the pocket of the MCGEO union, and they have 300 jobs in those stores. Never mind that in most privatization scenarios, the existing stores would stay and just need to compete with private stores -- I guess MCGEO worries private stores may do a better job (which they will, of course).

[Anonymous]

12:09 here. Meant to write that Elrich is a county exec _candidate_ so rememmber this on election day. The other two candidates (Floreen and Ficker) are not financed by the unions. Elrich's super-pac is almost all union money.

[Anonymous]

I wonder why certain grocery stores can sell wine in MoCo? For example, Balducci's on Old Georgetown Rd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder why certain grocery stores can sell wine in MoCo? For example, Balducci's on Old Georgetown Rd.

One store of every major chain is allowed to sell beer and wine, so it just depends on where those stores are. I know there's a Shoppers in Germantown that sells alcohol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder why certain grocery stores can sell wine in MoCo? For example, Balducci's on Old Georgetown Rd.

One store of every major chain is allowed to sell beer and wine, so it just depends on where those stores are. I know there's a Shoppers in Germantown that sells alcohol.

Yes. There’s also a Safeway in Olney and a Giant in Burtonsville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder why certain grocery stores can sell wine in MoCo? For example, Balducci's on Old Georgetown Rd.

One store of every major chain is allowed to sell beer and wine, so it just depends on where those stores are. I know there's a Shoppers in Germantown that sells alcohol.

Yes. There’s also a Safeway in Olney and a Giant in Burtonsville.

They were grandfathered in, meaning they had the liquor license before the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it generates $30mln in annual revenue for the county, and provides 300 union jobs. So only a few politicians want to touch it, even though if you ask MoCo people on the street, they all want to get rid of this. We're the only county in MD that does this.

The revenue goes directly to MoCo because they operate the retail stores, and distribution to restaurants. So they take a nice margin on that business -- it's not a tax (that goes to MD) but rather the profits from sales and distribution.

Bill Frick was strongly in favor of getting rid of the monopoly, but the rest of the MoCo delegation turned him down so he never put it up for vote.

Elrich (County Exec) will never get rid of the monopoly because he's in the pocket of the MCGEO union, and they have 300 jobs in those stores. Never mind that in most privatization scenarios, the existing stores would stay and just need to compete with private stores -- I guess MCGEO worries private stores may do a better job (which they will, of course).

I work for the County. Those people may lose DLC jobs but they will be absorbed into other county jobs because of bumping rights and the number of current vacant positions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it generates $30mln in annual revenue for the county, and provides 300 union jobs. So only a few politicians want to touch it, even though if you ask MoCo people on the street, they all want to get rid of this. We're the only county in MD that does this.

The revenue goes directly to MoCo because they operate the retail stores, and distribution to restaurants. So they take a nice margin on that business -- it's not a tax (that goes to MD) but rather the profits from sales and distribution.

Bill Frick was strongly in favor of getting rid of the monopoly, but the rest of the MoCo delegation turned him down so he never put it up for vote.

Elrich (County Exec) will never get rid of the monopoly because he's in the pocket of the MCGEO union, and they have 300 jobs in those stores. Never mind that in most privatization scenarios, the existing stores would stay and just need to compete with private stores -- I guess MCGEO worries private stores may do a better job (which they will, of course).

I work for the County. Those people may lose DLC jobs but they will be absorbed into other county jobs because of bumping rights and the number of current vacant positions.

It's still fewer overall union members for MCGEO, so they are against it. I'm also skeptical all these people with retail store experience have many similar positions available within MoCo, especially with such easy work and great benefits.

At one point, about a year ago, they even had their employees handing out flyers to customers who bought alcohol at the county liquor stores, about how great it is to have the monopoly. They were getting scared since Frick's proposal to end the monopoly had some momentum at the time.

[Anonymous]

What exactly is David Trone trying to do about this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What exactly is David Trone trying to do about this?

He’s currently a private citizen, and the position he’s running for in the US Congress doesn’t have jurisdiction over liquor sales in the county or the state.