If the new governor gets his way, Virginians will be buying their booze from privately-owned liquor stores rather than from the state-operated ABC stores we have currently. At least those Virginians who buy booze in the first place will be.
Governor-elect Bob McDonnell has targeted the sale of ABC stores as a source of revenue to fund transportation solutions. Goodness knows, we need solutions, but I hope he and the legislature think long and hard before taking such a step.
Jim White
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What this will mean to citizens of the Commonwealth remains to be seen, but predictions are being made from all sides. Some, eager for less government control, praise the potential action as in keeping with their Republican principles of private enterprise and competition. Others who favor the sale of ABC stores to private proprietors, say their democratic ideals will be rewarded with more choices in beverages and locations and in lower costs.
Undoubtedly, some Baptists will fall into those categories. I suspect most, however, will oppose the change. But before we have a collective knee-jerk reaction, let’s get our facts straight and speak with the authority of a reasoned response.
At face value, the following would seem true.
• Unless the state limits the number of privately-owned liquor stores to the current number of ABC outlets, the greater number will make hard alcohol more readily available.
• It would seem true that the greater availability will increase the number of drinkers and the amount of alcohol being consumed.
• Competition among liquor stores will lead to lower costs — and more consumption.
• More consumption will lead to greater alcohol-related suffering, costing taxpayers even more to counter the social ills.
• Competition would spawn advertisements and commercials designed to encourage drinking.
• The sale of the ABC stores would provide an immediate influx of cash, but the forfeiture of future revenue would seem to make the decision financially foolish in the long run if the decision is about money.
• Competition would cause owners to seek cost-saving measures such as understaffing to save salary and benefit expenses, and sacrificing building upkeep to save on maintenance expenses. This would eventually cause run-down and blighted properties.
• Understaffing make these stores more vulnerable to robberies.
Although it is too early to know what the privatization of ABC stores would mean exactly, based on the experience of other states some outcomes are inevitable. Liquor stores will multiply in number because the state is looking for revenue through sale, licensing and commissions. Advertisements will flood the media (except the Religious Herald, of course!), because each store is in direct competition with every other.
If seedy, window-barred liquor stores and a proliferation of booze ads are your idea of social progress, then the governor-elect’s idea should thrill you.
Less predictable are the social ramifications. While it seems true that more alcohol will produce more alcoholics, a rather extensive study undertaken by Gannett of Wisconsin provides some evidence to the contrary. In the study done earlier this year by the media giant, 10 social indicators were identified and investigated. Then, an overall ranking was given to each state in the U.S. The indictors and the ranking results are found here.
It seems that beer not only made Milwaukee famous, it also created a drinking culture and caused alcohol-related problems sufficient to earn Wisconsin the dubious distinction of being the most troubled state overall. Virginia ranks 38th. Is this because of our state-controlled ABC stores or because Baptists outnumber all other religious groups in the Old Dominion?
Five of the 10 states with fewest alcohol-related problems have some form of state-controlled alcohol sales. On the other hand, so do four of the 10 states with the greatest overall problems. Clearly, further study is warranted. Toward this end, John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, has called together a group of individuals to give the matter thought, prayer and study. If taking a stand on the ABC issue is called for, you can be sure that the BGAV will be leading the charge.
Troubling moral issues also remain to be asked and answered. Should the state be in the liquor-selling business at all? Or are Virginia and a handful of other states merely regulating the distribution of hard liquor by controlling the sale? To what degree does the state become complicit in alcohol-related problems by selling the stuff?
One conclusion does appear evident in looking at the Gannett study. Those states with the heaviest concentration of Baptists have the fewest alcohol-related problems. My proposal to Governor-elect McDonnell is this: sell the ABC stores and give the money to Virginia Baptists to plant churches. With the money the state saves on social problems caused by booze, it can afford to build roads.
Jim White is editor of the Religious Herald.