Thanks Tom. Important to get the facts out. I wonder why there is no mention of hard liquor. It seems to me that the type of heavy-drinking alcoholic who would be the likely cause of much of the expense to the state would be getting loaded on cheap vodka or some other junk spirit. And putting super high taxes on wine would have little or no impact on that group. So what's the point?
Paul, as you know Oregon is a control state for spirits. The tax on spririts is already among the highest in the country. It doesn't stand out as the best source for raising additional revenue.
Nonetheless, if you are pushing the argument that higher taxes will reduce the abuse of alcohol, those taxes on spirits should be tripled, and leave wine and beer alone.
Paul, much of this effort is not about how to address excessive consumption. It's about penalizing the industry. The spirits industry in OR is controlled by the state. Beer, wine and cider is not.
Tom, I get it. I understand. Really I do. I'm just trying to point out another fallacy in the whole neo-con effort. That's all. Obviously I am not making the point very well so I'll bow out!
Who else is affected here? Consumers worldwide who have fallen hopelessly in love with Oregon wine. What’s the point? Clearly, this is a way to raise money for the state of Oregon without having to tell Oregonians their taxes were raised. And, without reading this post, all of the rest of us who so dearly love Oregon wine will simply think “Golly, Oregon wine is sure getting expensive. Maybe we’ll just go back to California Cabernet?”
Most of the folks who are engaged in the project of raising taxes on wine, beer and spirits are either in recovery from alcohol or work in the recovery industry. They simply have shown little or no interest in the health of the Oreogn wine industyr. That's not their concern. Moreover, from the comments I've read, they believe that Oregon wineries as much as breweries and cideries are responsible for alcohol addiction in part and need to pay up.
this should be on the front page of every newspaper in Oregon. Hiding this report is a direct shot at the Oregon wine industry.
Exactly. Thank you Tom.
Thanks Tom. Important to get the facts out. I wonder why there is no mention of hard liquor. It seems to me that the type of heavy-drinking alcoholic who would be the likely cause of much of the expense to the state would be getting loaded on cheap vodka or some other junk spirit. And putting super high taxes on wine would have little or no impact on that group. So what's the point?
Paul, as you know Oregon is a control state for spirits. The tax on spririts is already among the highest in the country. It doesn't stand out as the best source for raising additional revenue.
Nonetheless, if you are pushing the argument that higher taxes will reduce the abuse of alcohol, those taxes on spirits should be tripled, and leave wine and beer alone.
Paul, much of this effort is not about how to address excessive consumption. It's about penalizing the industry. The spirits industry in OR is controlled by the state. Beer, wine and cider is not.
Tom, I get it. I understand. Really I do. I'm just trying to point out another fallacy in the whole neo-con effort. That's all. Obviously I am not making the point very well so I'll bow out!
The fallacies are legion, Paul. I’m happy some light is shown on these efforts.
Who else is affected here? Consumers worldwide who have fallen hopelessly in love with Oregon wine. What’s the point? Clearly, this is a way to raise money for the state of Oregon without having to tell Oregonians their taxes were raised. And, without reading this post, all of the rest of us who so dearly love Oregon wine will simply think “Golly, Oregon wine is sure getting expensive. Maybe we’ll just go back to California Cabernet?”
Most of the folks who are engaged in the project of raising taxes on wine, beer and spirits are either in recovery from alcohol or work in the recovery industry. They simply have shown little or no interest in the health of the Oreogn wine industyr. That's not their concern. Moreover, from the comments I've read, they believe that Oregon wineries as much as breweries and cideries are responsible for alcohol addiction in part and need to pay up.