Ever take a look at the license plates in those liquor stores that sit so tantalizingly just over the state line in Delaware.
Yes, there are a lot of people in Pennsylvania breaking the law.
We all know it's illegal to purchase alcohol out of state and then bring it back over the state line.
Go ahead, call us bootleggers.
Now one Philadelphia state rep wants to nix the fines. I'll drink to that.
We're backing his legislation on today's editorial page.
Of course, that might not surprise many people who know I'm one of the state's foremost proponents of getting Pennsylvania out of the booze business.
Then again, my timing could be better. Yesterday the state Liquor Control Board announced a record year for revenue, a cool $2.2 billion that it literally pours into the state's coffers. That's a 3.2 percent increase over last year.
The PLCB raked in a record $526 million in liquor and sales taxes, and transfers to the state General Fund. That was up $13 million from the year before.
All of which means I'm not going to hold my breath for privatization any time soon. Those opposed will be trumpeting these numbers, and I have to admit they're impressive.
So I now say, fine, keep the state stores.
But allow private stores to come in as well.
And nix these silly rules about who can sell what. Let everybody sell whatever they want.
What I want is one-stop shopping, preferably while I am already in the grocery store or my local Wawa. I'd like the option of sampling maybe a single craft beer or a six-pack, while having the option of purchasing a case of beer and a bottle of wine for dinner all in the same place.
Is that too much to ask?
Apparently so.
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