GEORGE E. CURRY

(NNPA)—The next major showdown in Washington may not be over how best to reduce the deficit or involve another Obama cabinet appointment. Look for sparks to fly over the president’s constitutional prerogative to nominee federal judges and the Senate’s responsibility to either confirm or reject those nominees.

JULIANNE MALVEAUX

(NNPA)—When George Orwell wrote the novel 1984, he envisioned a character, real or imagined “Big Brother” who was a know-all, see-all, omnipotent and elusive presence that intruded into lives because he could. Those who knew about “him” were told that they did not exist, but in many ways, Big Brother may not have existed, either. The omnipotence had taken on a life of its own.

Harrisburg, PA – A new poll conducted on June 11th by Red Maverick Media shows that Pennsylvania voters want to end the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s monopoly over the wholesale distribution of wine and spirits. Most notably, 52 percent of likely voters said thatprivatizing retail alcohol sales but keeping the government wholesale monopoly is insufficient (only 18 percent said it was sufficient). [1]

Not surprisingly, when asked about “privatizing the state liquor wholesale operation,” large numbers of voters were undecided. But when the concept was explained—that retail stores would have to keep buying wine and spirits from the government—support grew substantially.

More than 60 percent of likely voters said we should not continue to force every store to “buy its wine and spirits from the government.”

“Voters clearly recognize that keeping the government middleman in the liquor business isn’t going to deliver the selection and convenience they deserve,” said Matt Brouillette, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation. “If the government determines what products are sold and not sold in the state, sets prices, and charges additional fees to business owners, consumers won’t benefit."

Under current law, restaurants and taverns must buy their wine and spirits from the PLCB directly, and must pick up their orders from state liquor stores themselves. According to an analysis from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), a proposal to “modernize” the PLCB’s operations and offer delivery to more than 15,000 restaurants, bars and hotels would cost as much as $770 million a year in additional costs—costs that would be shouldered by Pennsylvania taxpayers and consumers.

Complete poll results can be found here.

[1] Question wording “If wine, spirits and beer could be purchased at a grocery store but these stores would have to continue buying wine and spirits from the government would you consider that sufficient privatization of the government liquor business?”

ULISH CARTER

I really wanted to dig into the national news as it related to President Obama and the economy, but all the rest of the media is dealing with everything but the economy which is the real problem affecting most of the people I talk to.

What’s happening in the Middle East is important but how does that relate to me getting a job, getting a better job, getting a raise or promotion or being able to hang on to what I have with so many businesses either shutting down or cutting back.