Posted on 02/02/2005 3:38:25 PM PST by franksolich
Easy access to alcohol unpopular
The populist Progress Party has had surprisingly little public support for their efforts to bring wine and spirits out of the clutches of the state liquor monopoly Vinmonopolet and in to normal shops.
Only 16 percent of those quizzed in a survey carried out by TNS Gallup for TV 2 favored the Progress Party suggestion, and just 31 percent favored making just wine more accessible.
Despite the ongoing investigation into the possible bribery of several Vinmonopolet managers, Norwegians appear to have great faith in the monopoly as an institution.
Only one in five respondents said that they felt the coverage of the accusations had weakened their confidence in the liquor monopoly.
I have always been confused about "state monopolies" on the sale of alcohol. I lived in Pennsylvania for two years during the 1980s, and while private businesses could sell beer, only "state stores" could sell the hard stuff.
I did not pay much attention to it, but the most-common complaint I got from Pennsylvanians was that "liquor store clerk" jobs were life-time sinecures, and at executive salaries, for the politically-connected.
"Ping" for the Norway list, and thank you for reading.
I remember being on ferry in Europe somewhere and the Norwegians getting very, very drunk as they could not get booze for the same price in Norway.
Probably because in Norway, the state-owned liquor stores have people on the payroll much better paid than in other retail stores there, and so costs of operation are higher, making liquor prices higher?
I think they purposefully keep prices high to disuade drinking. Mind you this was about ten or fifteen years ago so things may have changed.
To be honest, I've never heard of a socialist who ran a profitable business.
And if someone brings up the kibbutzim in Israel-in order to refute my point-I'm going to smack them over the head with the brim of my hat.
<<has seen drunken Danes, but has never seen a drunken Norwegian.
Just another example of the fine style of government in the socialist countries of Europe. And the HildaBeast (and her ilk) want to put it on you.
To be honest, I've never heard of a socialist who ran a profitable business.
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Well Robert Maxwell did alright for himself...
Oh no wait....
Right, sir, but between you and me and Free Republicans, with the Norwegians standing on the sidelines cheering us, Hilarity has risen about as high as she ever will; from here it's all downhill for her.
Norway had a really nasty alcoholism problem at the turn of the century, about where Russia is today. This was the solution, IIRC.
They tax the fool out of alcoholic beverages over there. It'll cost you about $8 for a beer, $4-6 is considered cheap beer.
In Nebraska, sir, wine is defined as "hard liquor" (as opposed to beer) when it comes to licenses.
New York differentiates between wine and, say, vodka?
Right, sir, but between you and me and Free Republicans, with the Norwegians standing on the sidelines cheering us, Hilarity has risen about as high as she ever will; from here it's all downhill for her.
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And I sure hope your analysis is correct. Bonnie and Clyde are making probably what will be thier last move -- Hitlery for Pres, Billy trying to get Annan's job. That nightmare I don't even like to think about....
So does Washington. You can get beer, wine, and alcopops in supermarkets. You hagve to go to a state liquor store to get whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, Kahlua, etc.
Do you suppose, sir, that Norwegians try to evade the high liquor taxes by making their own? That was immensely popular in Ukraine in the villages--"summahon," brewed from anything that would ferment, including shaving cream, shoe-leather, old bread, potato peelings.
We hope it's Slick and Hilarity's last move, sir; but if the Dems have Ho Chi Dean as party chairman, then we know it's all over; they will have marginalized themselves into irrelevancy.
Works for us - why mess with it?
Here, it is kind of different (as to licensing of private businesses); one can sell (a) beer only or (b) beer and all other alcohol. The habit seems to be that convenience stores and small grocery stores sell beer only, while large grocery stores and retail liquor stores sell both beer and the hard stuff. There is of course a distinction between wine and hard liquor, in reality, but in Nebraska licensing laws, wine is considered the same as hard liquor.
Here in Michigan, you can walk into a CVS and come out with beer, wine or liquor. Now I know why I live here.
But how would you rate "customer service" in such "ABC stores," sir--given that they are probably staffed by superfluous relatives of others on the state payroll.
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