YOUR COMMENTS

I work for a grocery store, and I actually do the buying for alcohol. This is long overdue. For people that are commenting about the loss of revenue, if this passes, stores will have to purchase the liquor from the state. This will increase sales, not affect the bottom line.


PS: We also need to take a hard look at lowering the drinking age. We can send our kids to war, but they can't have beer. Kinda silly.
- Dave, Manchester

hey this is for gregg in manchester there are four stores one on mcgreggor street one on lincoln street one on hanover street and one over by shortys on the hooksett line there are also 3 in hooksett
3 in nashua....etc ask for a listing next time you visit one of "our" stores,remember that these are"our" stores
- walt, bow nh

I wonder what Mr. Bodi's motives are. Does he want to ride the Gov.'s coattails to Washington or does he have a deal with a largr grocery chain?
- Lauren, Milford

I love all the conservatives on here decrying selling liquor in stores, but still profiting the state, as an encroachment of liberalism and Massachusetts values. Forget the studies that show the vast majority of transplants from Mass are conservative, the idea of state ownership of an industry is not in keeping with the right's pro-privatization/quick profit motive at all. Suffice it to say, I'm happy to see so many people calling for the continuation of state control and profit from liquor sales rather than the privatization of profit even if the logic is misguided.
- Michael Bellefeuille, Bedford, NH

I happen to work for the Liquor Commission in 2 of the high volume stores. I don't see how you can do away with them. We had multiple discussions at work about this. First of all every store in the state generates profit, if it did not the state policy is that the store closes. So bottom line every store makes profit after rent, electricity, employees, etc.

For the person who asked about salary. Starting Cashier/Laborer is $10.42 with a raise due Jan 2 to $10.99 (raise was in the labor contract year 3 of 3 in the contract).

If you let grocery sell people will go there perhaps paying a little more for the convenience and the sale loses the state some money, since the store bought it from the state (which is also selling it) Look @ Wine. Grocery can sell wine and it is 99% of the time more expenise in a grocery store then a liquor store. The consumer will pay more while the state may not be making more, that would depend on the volume ordered.

But liquor sales are up 5% and did 400 million in sales, why would you change it? Can you really expect liquor to pick up the slack?
- Mike, Manchester, NH

Who cares? Whether you buy it at a NH Liq Store, Hannafords, Shaws, etc. or whether the price is cheap or expensive - people will buy it no matter where it is sold and no matter what the price is.
- Rick, Manchester

For years we have had stores that were convenient but not profitable. N.H. should continue to operate the ones which make money and allow the others to be replaced by putting the most popular brands in a grocery store. The state would continue to be the wholesaler and regulator but would save money by eliminating expensive state employees rent. This idea was explored over twenty years ago in the legislature but the desire for change was not there.
- Jim, NH

Leave it the way it is.

Those that want the State out of it be forewarned! Cheap NH booze is a big way to lure people through our tolls and into NH to spend $$. Let's not fix what isn't broken.
- Biff, Canterbury

I would be very interested to know how much money and man power we will need in additional liquor enforcement and police personnel if the liquor can be sold in any store. There are now 77 State run and a few agency stores our law enforcement must monitor for sales to underage drinkers and intoxicated idiots. I don't think expanding sales by allowing any private store that wishes to will continue to curtail these activities as well as they are doing now. How much are we willing to sacrifice in DUI's and alcohol poisoning for the sake of unknown profits? I would feel that my daughter is safer in our towns or driving on our streets with fewer stores and stricter control that we currently have.

How about cutting wasteful spending in government elections and parties instead of sacrificing our loved ones when there is a government borne deficit? The taxes WE pay should not be wasted and then tell US we should be paying for that waste!!! When do we start with accountability and having the guts to fire the ones that are doing the actual wasting???? Once again, the hard working people of the State are being asked to bail out irresponsibility when no one is there for them!!!

I am sad and scared.
- Lilly, Franklin, NH

Interesting enough,... Im thinking, although it seems to be a good idea... for example the large Grocery chains... But... even still.. the fact that we still have stores and smaller mom-and-pop stores who are still NON compliant when it comes to carding people appropriate. The latest undercover sting proved that there are still some businesses who are not responsible enough to handle the basics... how does the State know if they can handle the rest?

It doesnt seem to me as something that is a priority for right now. Certainly something like this could be researched, but.. its not high on the agenda, in my opinion.

We dont drink alot, its rare really, and for the most part, I prefer very select wines for consumption, while a few other things would be for creative cooking. I think the state should consider something but definitely not as a priority for right now.
- Melanie, Manchester

Keep it the way it is. Lets stop trying to be Like Mass. think of the problems and corruption their cities and towns have over liquor licenses. You know the prices will go way up too
- JOJO, Londonderry

I don't mind the state liquor stores. At the "higher end" ones in Bedford and Nashua, I can find rare import liqueurs that friends in other states have only heard about but can't get.

I'm the envy of a lot of people I know because I can walk right into those stores and buy anything from Pyrat XO rum to icewine to highend Brazilian Cachaca to Danflou Captive brandies with the fruit in the bottle, even hard to find vodkas like Kalashnikov.

You will never find that stuff at mom-and-pop stores, and if you do, it'll be twice the price!
- Jeff, Bedford

Come on people. Use your brains. The State is not going to "give up" liquor sales. They are only going to "allow" grocery outlets to "sell" it. State gov't will not give up their slice of the pie. They will still get their income by taking a portion of the grocery store sales of liquor. It may be called a tax or some other term given to it, but they will not get out of the liquor game completely. There is too much money spent by out-of-staters for the state to get out totally.
- Don, Rochester

I am inclined to believe that private businesses can sell any product more efficiently and most cost effectively than government can. And there's no reason why people should be able to buy all the products they want, save one, at a grocery store then have to go to a state approved outlet to get that one additional product. By allowing sales of liquor at locations that currently sell beer and wine, we'll see more convenience at lower cost to the consumer. Plus, without having to maintain buildings and inventory, and staff for government liquor outlets that's a net savings for the state government. And we need all the savings we can get after the Democrats have put us in this massive deficit situation. By the time they are through, all of us will benefit from easier access to some distilled spirits.
- Mark, Amherst

There's absolutely no reason why the State should be in the liquor business.
The old laws are 75 years old?? What a shock--that coincides with the repeal of Prohibition which happened 75 years ago this week.

The only reason the State wanted to be in the liquor business back then was to control the product once the laws were repealed.

Not only is it time to modernize but its time to let free enterprise do what it does best.

Besides, how much are you and I paying UNIONIZED State Employees to perform the job of selling booze?

Sell the business and lease the property at the rest areas. The time has come.
- William Smith, Manchester, NH

I go to college in NY but I'm a Granite Stater at heart. I'll tell you this, the one thing to expect if liquor's in the grocery stores....higher prices. Think of it, NH's liquor prices are always the lowest in the region, and a lot of the inventory is always on sale. I've always thought it's amusing that we have massive liquor stores on our highway rest stops instead of gas stations...
- V, Brooklyn, NY

I am not a Harvard business graduate like a lot of the CEO's that created this economic crisis but call me crazy aren't we in a recessaion? Aren't there a lot of empty office/retail space availabe? The state is in the drivers seat when it comes to renting space. Just tell the landlord/property owner you want a reduction in rent or they will have an empty store. That state check is pretty reliable on a monthly basis more reliable than a vacant sign. Fire the Liquor Commision and put me incharge, I'll get things done and save the state money.
- Michael King, Epping

So NH makes 114 million a year and Maine leased their business for 125 million for 10 years. Unless that's 125 million each year rather than for the 10 year period, I don't think Maine's approach was too sound.
- Calvin Perkins, Rumney

I think its a better idea to privatize the entire NH State Liquor Business. Sell it all.
- gr chase, Exeter

I'm not sure why liquor sales are controlled by the state anyways. First it makes it inconvenient if you are not near a store. And then, where there are stores, you have two near each other, Bedford and Goffstown, but none in the 'Big City'.
Whenever you have the government run something, it is no where near as efficient as a private entity.
If you don't want hard liquor in a grocery store, require separation like Ct where they have liquor/package stores that can only sell liquor and incedental items
- Greg, Manchester

This idea doesn't impress me much! I'm not sure how privatization of liquor sales can improve the State's profit margin. I expect that cost to the retail customer will rise after this conversion. While the change might look good as a quick-fix, I think we'll regret it in the long term...
- Gary, Laconia

I would have liked it if the article included how much revenue the stores bring in each year. If they are profitable in spite of rising rental costs, privatizing them would cost the State money.
- Dom, Portsmouth

It seems like since the Democrats took over, law after law has passed that will only cost John Q Taxpayer more and more money. Nobody has learned from the lessons of New York and Massachusetts. So now let's give up the State Liquor Stores. I wonder how much the pay off is for this proposal? If you like Maine's laws so much go move there and leave New Hampshire alone!
- Steve, Raymond