Monday, June 27, 2011

Your guide to the 20% alcohol tax increase in the state of Connecticut

Starting July 1st, the incompetent pinheaded morons who run the state of Connecticut are increasing taxes on alcohol by 20%. Seeing as how the increase has been widely under-reported, and Food Plus Beer is your authority on all things alcoholic, we figured we’d give you a bit of a heads up.

Long story short, if you’re loading up for a 4th of July party or barbecue, do it before this Thursday, because everything you buy at your local bottle shop is about to be a couple bucks more expensive. How much more expensive? Well, the retailers are taking some of the hit, too, so it’s not as simple as (Price you normally pay) * (1.20). [I wanted to include a pun about your fifth not actually costing a fifth more, but I decided not to. Unless you count this, but it’s in brackets. Doesn’t count.]

At Three Seas Liquor in Stamford, the proprietor had a sign posted briefly explaining the effects of the new law, along with an example of how the price will change. The sign states that a previously $29.99 bottle of Absolut will now cost $31.99. For the consumer, that’s a little less than a 7% increase. A $10 6-pack, then, should cost about $10.70 if the changes are even across the board (and assuming most liquor stores are spreading the 20% out in a similar manner to Three Seas).

So, as you can see, it’s not exactly a doomsday scenario, but it’s still a pain in the ass...especially when there’s such an obvious alternative solution to getting more state money out of CT’s booze industry. I don’t know, say, OPENING THE FRIGGIN’ LIQUOR STORES ON SUNDAYS? Well, gee, wouldn’t that make just a little bit of sense?

You can buy a beer from a bar on Sunday, but not a liquor store. Uh...what?


We’re currently optimizing 6 out of the 7 days of the week. If we were to open on Sunday, that’s a 16.7% increase in days our liquor stores are open, collecting taxes. Wouldn't that offset a good portion of that 20%? Not to mention the fact that a seventh day would create more jobs, thereby stimulating the economy and generating more income tax revenue.

And wouldn’t this stop residents of CT border towns from driving to New York, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island to buy alcohol on Sundays…a direct loss in tax revenue for CT and benefit for its neighbors? Connecticut's a pretty small state - it's not that far a drive. I could walk to Port Chester if I had to.

Connecticut, for all its self-righteousness and progressive attitude, is one of just TWO states in the U.S. (Indiana, I believe, being the other) that doesn’t open its liquor stores on Sundays. That’s right, the entire Bible belt has moved on and embraced the beauty of drinking white lightnin’ out of a boot on the Sabbath… yet CT can’t seem to get its act together and clings to its Puritanical roots from 400 years ago.

Jesus turned water into wine, people. I don’t think he’d be offended. Open the damn doors.

Enjoy the tax hike,

Ryan

5 comments:

  1. I think we should raise the tax on propositions to raise taxes. So, when a politician brings it up, they get taxed on that idea. If the bill gets passed, there's an additional tax on that. So, if they are driving their car that gets taxed on the way to pay the bill, they can stop and get a drink that will be taxed. But, you'd need to have some food with your drink, so be sure to add the tax for that. Oh, and that car doesn't drive itself...gas up with some tax on that, too. Where did that money come from anyway? Oh, that's right, your salary that has already been taxed.

    I think we should start having taxes on blog posts. What you think? Extra tax on yours, though, guys, because you write about beer.

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  2. I live just over the border from CT in NY and can attest to a huge number of NY cars in the parking lots of the local beer and wine stores (NY does not allow both to be sold in the same place, who knows why?) on Sundays.

    So stupid.

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  3. The state has been trying to open on sundays for years but you know who keeps lobbying against it? The liquor stores! Blows my mind

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  4. No one would force them to be open on Sunday, we'd just be giving them the option to be open should they choose to.

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  5. On the other side, this increase in tax could perhaps lessen the people whose becoming lure with these liquor. Come to think of it it has its advantage and disadvantages.

    Wine of the Upper West Side

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