Commonwealth Foundation: Governor Wolf Should Go Further On Liquor Privatization
SPONSORED CONTENT
Philadelphia (CBS) - The Vice President of Policy Analysis from the Commonwealth Foundation, Nate Benefield, took exception with Governor Tom Wolf's new plan, that inches toward the direction of privatizing the commonwealth's Liquor Control Board.
Benefield, talking with Talk Radio 1210 WPHT's Dom Giordano, said Wolf's proposal goes nowhere near far enough.
"His plan that he offered is to keep the government in the booze business and keep a government monopoly but bring in a private company to manage the liquor stores. That doesn't deliver for consumers any more convenience, any better selection or prices and really doesn't offer any competition at all. We still have a government monopoly. Just a government monopoly with a private operator."
He stated the residents of Pennsylvania should want nothing less than a private system of alcohol sales.
"The government in the booze business is a lose business, having a state run monopoly and Pennsylvania is one of only two states that still have that. Every other state allows private businesses, grocery stores, restaurants to sell wine and spirits to consumers. Pennsylvania needs to get out of that and we need to get out of having a government bureaucrat bureaucracy in charge of what products are sold in Pennsylvania."
Benefield also expressed the Commonwealth Foundation's disapproval toward the Governor's plan to introduce changes to the commonwealth's pension system for certain employees.
"This would simply be a defined contribution plan for employees above $75,000 and even just a portion of their income above that which really doesn't provide any savings for taxpayers. It still leaves the state in a system where we can't change that benefit structure and increases the cost for our kids and grand kids and doesn't get Pennsylvania out into a real defined contribution plan for new employees."
