The campaign to defeat a liquor privatization measure on this year’s ballot, called Protect Our Profits, has received another million-dollar contribution from the the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, a national trade association of booze distributors. The liquor wholesale group this time gave $1,097,000 to Protect Our Profits, state election records show, bringing the group’s total contributions to $4.8 million.
Plainly motivated to preserve the liquor industry’s partnership with the state, this year’s Protect Our Profits campaign—if it’s anything like last year’s anti-liquor-reform campaign—will deploy the specter of more drunk driving teens unless folks vote against Costco’s Initiative 1183. Their goal is to make it appear that they’re protecting the community. But, similar to last year’s campaign from the beer and wine industries, it will really be about protecting their profits.
Both sides are driven by profit, of course. Costco and other grocery retail giants want to gain market share; the national spirit wholesalers don’t want to give up what they’ve got. That’s why the campaign is conveniently titled Protect Our Profits, so you remember what it’s really all about.
As long as the state, the liquor and beer and wine industries, and the public share the same incentive for everyone to consume as much booze as they can, I don’t see how anything bad can possibly happen no matter how this turns out.
I’d be interested to know if their partnership with your state run stores includes the same kind of leasing shelf space that controls some of what products make it into consumer grocery stores. I’ve heard that Coke and Pepsi compete buy paying premium for the best spots in the stores at big brand groceries and if customers did want other options it too bad, because the shelf space is already under contract. Anyone know the answer to that one?