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+--- Thread: VA behaving badly (/thread-2936.html)
- amshih - 02-23-1999
Well, VA has been caught up in the anti-direct shipment hysteria by making the VA attorney general ARAA's new honorary national chairman.
ARAA's press release claims that "more than two dozen television stations in major markets across the country documented recently how easily teenagers can order alcohol on the Internet". Further, Sen. Orrin Hatch announced that the Judiciary Committee will be doing a hearing on the subject this year.
Rrrrr, it's enough to make me barf.
- Bucko - 02-23-1999
Most, if not all of these purchases have been by sting operations, NOT by a teenager buying wine on their own. First off, teens are looking for beer, not wine. Secondly, adult signatures are required upon delivery. Finally, there are not many teens running around with their own credit cards to make said purchase. It all boils down to big brother......
Bucko
- Thomas - 02-23-1999
Bucko is correct, but the distributors and anti-alcohol people aren't going to tell Orin Hatch, who incidentally is a Mormon who disdains alcohol for anyone at any age.
Perhaps we need a grass-roots protest and we can muster it up on this board.
- amshih - 02-23-1999
I knew that the "stings" were set up, but just try and get people to admit to that.
Wine Curmudgeon is THE person that's been keeping up with all the wine and politics. Any ideas, WC? I've been trying to do my part by doing legal research for Coalition for Free Trade regarding the direct shipment issue in particular (looks like it's going to be an interesting year!), but I have a feeling that there aren't enough wine drinkers that are angry enough to make a big stink about what's going on in Washington. (folks, please prove me wrong!).
In fact, IMHO there aren't enough wine drinkers, period! Especially in my Gen X group. Maybe our strategy should be two-fold; increase the number of wine drinkers, and maybe there will be enough activist wine drinkers among us to do something (shameless plug for the Wine Brats).
Sorry, I'm rambling again, but maybe we can stir something up....
- Jason - 02-23-1999
Seems like the compromise reached in states like LA.(?) makes sense. You can bring in small amounts and the state gets their tax. Why aren't more states doing this?
- Jerry D Mead - 02-24-1999
Louisana Compromise is a scam , Jason, sounds good...doesn't work. Registration fee is so high that no winery or retailer can turn a profit after paying it...there are other flaws as well.
JDM
[This message has been edited by Wine Curmudgeon (edited 02-24-99).]
- Jerry D Mead - 02-24-1999
The ARAA item is not a news story as it appears, but a press release from the WSWA front organization.
If any of you are into letter writing campaigns, either to this dupe in Virginia, to ARAA or WSWA (same thing) themselves, or to be prepared to deal with other media that may pick this garbage up...here are some questions to ask...comments to make.
Once again...every cited example of delivery to a minor is part of an adult (usually police or anti-alcohol fanatic organization) sting. There is still not ONE instance to be found of a non-sting minor delivery. I've been challenging the oponents of interstate shipping for 20 years or more to come up with real minors receiving shipments, and they have yet to come up with one.
What is an elected public servant doing serving as the front for a fat cat special interest group?...and it might be pointed out to the attorney general of Virginia that his predecessor as front man for this group (the former attorney general of New York, Dennis Vacco) lost his relection campaign at least partially because of the wrath of wine-loving New Yorkers who saw through his lies and duplicity.
Ask ARAA (or other oponents of direct to consumer interstate shipping) why they never say anything about INTRASTATE direct to consumer shipping. Vacco screamed about shipments coming in from other states and threatening minors, without ever acknowledging that UPS/FedEx/Common Carrier shipments from retailers, wineries and wine clubs within the state of New York are perfectly legal and have been for as long as anyone can remember. So why is a minor less likely to receive an illegal shipment from a New Jersey winery than he is from one in New York, when both are likely delivered by the same shipping firm? There is no answer.
ARAA and WSWA do not speak out against IN STATE shipping because they know their retailer customers would be all over them like a duck on a june bug, not to mention the wrath of local agricultural interests, including grapegrowers and vintners. It's much more politically acceptable to pick on some "foreign" merchant in another state.
ARAA & WSWA are not only criminalizing the image of all licensed beverages by relegating them to the status of evil alcohol from which we need to be protected, but they have aligned themselves with the alcocops who are usually their adversaries and with anti-alcohol fanatics such as MADD, SADD and WCTU, all of which are supporters of ZERO TOLERANCE and would like nothing better than to put the wholesalers and everyone else connected with wine, beer and spirits out of business. WARNING WSWA: Lay down with dogs...you will get up with fleas.
- Thomas - 02-24-1999
Curmudgeon strikes again. The point is, people have got to write letters and let the politicians know we are not happy with this crap.
I don't know about anyone else on this board, but I am particularly struck by the many "let's get government off our backs" politicians who continue to try to get government into our morality.
I write a few wine columns here in the Northeaster US, and I spend a lot of time knocking the politicians and the distributors.
- Heather - 03-06-1999
amshih,
I was lurking around to see what other postings are about. I tend to stay with in my novice category. However i have just learned that I can figure more out by swimming silently with the big fish. The point of my posting is to agree with you. You are correct. There are not enough Gen Xers that appreciate wine. I am currently working on converting a few from beer. Yuck!
I also wanted to add that I am happy to know that there is another Gen Xer participating in this group. I was beginning to feel too inexperienced to add to the forum.
- Jerry D Mead - 03-07-1999
Heather...Re swimming...come on in...the water's fine...no sharks in these waters.
The "Toothless" Curmudgeon
- n144mann - 03-07-1999
WC is right Heather. I am a little fish who makes a lot of noise, and they have not taken a bite out of me yet! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]
Nancy
- Thomas - 03-07-1999
When we get through with you guys, you will know which wine matches each of you fish best.
- amshih - 03-08-1999
If any of your senators are members of the Judiciary Committee, don't forget to fax them a letter telling them how you feel about interstate shipment of wine -- they're having a hearing tomorrow on the subject! Free The Grapes! has a sample on their website.
- Heather - 03-13-1999
Thank you, every one, for being so welcoming. I'll be participating more soon.