OUR VIEW: Make it last call for state-run liquor monopoly
The Alcoholic Beverage Control system is a Frankenstein monster, constructed over the years through a battle with some church leaders (who’d rather see liquor banned completely, as in the good old days) and bootleggers (who’d rather not have competition).
The idea is to “control” liquor by making it hard to buy. Trouble is, that doesn’t work very well. In 2017, 413 people were killed in drunk-driving incidents in North Carolina, more than in New York, Pennsylvania or Illinois.
A proposal to privatize the liquor stores, House Bill 971, didn’t get very far in this year’s General Assembly. North Carolina is pondering selling the stores, and the valuable real estate they sit on, and leasing store space instead.
Full privatization makes a lot more sense. The notion of “control” went out the window when counties and municipalities started approving the sale of mixed drinks in bars and restaurants. (Wilmington, .N.C., Star-News)