
Video Poker 247
- Maryland is a Good Place to be in Liquor
It would seem that the liquor lobby is running the great state of
Maryland rather than its residents. Everything that they have set out
to do during this General Assembly session they have done, much to the
chagrin and disappointment of the rest of the state.
They did not want internet wine sales, residents did – guess who won?
They did not want residents to be able to get beer at the grocery
story, residents did – guess who won? The lobby wants to keep limited
competition and choice so that they can charge more for the alcohol
and residents have a problem with that.
Residents also wanted video poker machines banned from the state. The
lobby had no problems with that, but they wanted all of them gone
except for the video poker machines in the bars. They argued that
those were the only video poker machines that needed to stay, and they
did.
The liquor lobby contributes around $3 million to legislative coffers,
so it is no wonder that they get to control everything. But they even
keep the tax low for liquor – which hasn’t been raised since 1955 for
liquor and 1972 for beer and wine. The state could use the money, but
they won’t allow it to pass.
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April 2008 Archive