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Easy access to alcohol unpopular (Norway)
Aftenposten ^ | February 2, 2005 | local reporter

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alcohol; beer; haakon; harald; liquor; magnanimous; maud; norway; olav
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More news from Norway, our gallant allies in the War against Terror.

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.

1 posted on 02/02/2005 3:38:25 PM PST by franksolich
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To: JLO; DJ MacWoW; kingsurfer; cinives; Charles Henrickson; Theoden; fredo1070; Born Conservative; ...

"Ping" for the Norway list, and thank you for reading.


2 posted on 02/02/2005 3:40:15 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

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.


3 posted on 02/02/2005 3:42:53 PM PST by kingsurfer
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To: kingsurfer

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?


4 posted on 02/02/2005 3:44:25 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

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.


5 posted on 02/02/2005 3:46:04 PM PST by kingsurfer
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To: franksolich; Clemenza; Cacique; Red Redwine; Red_Wine
Some of the laws in New York, distinguishing between hard liquor, wine and beer, are just as anachronistic.

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.

6 posted on 02/02/2005 3:46:15 PM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham (Proud American chauvinist)
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To: kingsurfer

<<has seen drunken Danes, but has never seen a drunken Norwegian.


7 posted on 02/02/2005 3:46:48 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

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.


8 posted on 02/02/2005 3:46:48 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham

To be honest, I've never heard of a socialist who ran a profitable business.

..........................................................

Well Robert Maxwell did alright for himself...
Oh no wait....


9 posted on 02/02/2005 3:48:27 PM PST by kingsurfer
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To: EagleUSA

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.


10 posted on 02/02/2005 3:48:46 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

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.


11 posted on 02/02/2005 3:49:14 PM PST by Constantine XIII
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham

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?


12 posted on 02/02/2005 3:50:43 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

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.
======
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....


13 posted on 02/02/2005 3:52:20 PM PST by EagleUSA
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To: franksolich
New York differentiates between wine and, say, vodka?

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.

14 posted on 02/02/2005 3:53:10 PM PST by ScottFromSpokane (http://drunkengop.blogspot.com/)
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To: Constantine XIII

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.


15 posted on 02/02/2005 3:54:07 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: EagleUSA

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.


16 posted on 02/02/2005 3:55:54 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich
We have state liquior stores in VA - "ABC Stores"

Works for us - why mess with it?

17 posted on 02/02/2005 3:57:19 PM PST by patton (Matthew 6:6)
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To: ScottFromSpokane

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.


18 posted on 02/02/2005 3:58:23 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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To: franksolich

Here in Michigan, you can walk into a CVS and come out with beer, wine or liquor. Now I know why I live here.


19 posted on 02/02/2005 3:58:29 PM PST by ShadowDancer (Vivere est cogitare)
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To: patton

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.


20 posted on 02/02/2005 4:01:42 PM PST by franksolich (Norge uber alles)
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