State lawmaker wants to explore cost of privatizing NC liquor sales
>> POWERFUL SILVERADO HD.
>> WELCOME BACK. A FAMILIAR
DEBATE IS BACK IN THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY. SHOULD THE STATE
REMAIN IN CHARGE OF LIQUOR
SALES? THE SYSTEM CURRENTLY
BRINGS IN BILLIONS IN DOLLARS
IN REVENUE FROM THE SALES.
SOME LAWMAKERS, THOUGH, THINK
ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE. THEY
WANT ABC STORES TO GO PRIVATE
WRAL'S DASCHLE PATTERSON FOUND
OUT WHY.
>> NORTH CAROLINA IS ONE OF
17 STATES THAT STILL CONTROLS
ITS OWN LIQUOR SALES. AND NOW
SOME MEMBERS OF A STATE
COMMITTEE THING BRINGING IN
PRIVATE BUSINESSES COULD
ACTUALLY SAVE THE STATE MONEY
TO DO YOU THINK THAT THEY
SHOULD PRIVATIZE LIQUOR SALES?
>> YES, YES, I THINK IS A GOOD
IDEA. I THINK THAT PUBLIC
ASSIST AND THE ABC STORE.
YEAH,
>> I MEAN, IT'S BEEN GOOD.
SOAP AND ABC COMMISSION
CHAIRMAN HANG BOWERS, SAYS THE
CURRENT SYSTEM HAS BROUGHT IN
3.4 BILLION DOLLARS TO THE
STATE OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS.
WE HAVE THE GREATEST SYSTEM.
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE
KEITH KIDWELL BUSINESSES.
SURE HE SITS ON THIS COMMITTEE
FOCUSED ON IMPROVING GOVERNMENT
EFFICIENCY. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY
BE IN FAVOR OF PRIVATIZING THE
IDEA OF PUTTING LIQUOR SALES IN
THE HANDS OF PRIVATE BUSINESSES
ISN'T NEW, BUT PASS ATTEMPTS
HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. THIS
TIME OF THE CONVERSATION IS
ABOUT MONEY TO BAUER.
PRIVATIZING THE INDUSTRY WOULD
PUT REVENUE IN JEOPARDY.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE GET THAT
UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE
TAXES ON PRODUCTS. IN FACT,
HE SAYS THE AGENCY COULD BRING
IN MORE MONEY IF THE STATE
AGREED TO PAY FOR AN UPGRADED
WAREHOUSE WITH MORE SPACE AND
THE PURSUIT OF SAVING MONEY,
LAWMAKERS WEREN'T SOLD ON THAT
IDEA. WHAT STOPS YOU FROM
GOING? GET PRIVATE FUNDING TO
BUILD THAT WAREHOUSE.
>> AND THEN IN TURN, USE THE
SAME REVENUE TO PAY IT OFF.
WE COULD DO THAT. AND THEN
THERE'S NO UPFRONT MONEY FROM
THE STATE TO GET IT DONE.
WE COUNTY STATE REPRESENTATIVE
ASKED THE ABC COMMISSION TO
COME BACK TO THEM WITH DATA ON
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
COMPARED TO OTHER STATES THAT
WILL AT LEAST MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE KNOW THE PROS AND CONS
OF THE STATE'S CURRENT SYSTEM.