Hooray, Hooray

[Innkeeper]

No more retail sales tax in MA for Alcoholic beverages!!!!!!

[TheEngineer]

YEAH!!!!! I agree!!!!!

I can go shopping again!!!!!
I never thought that it would pass here in MA. I'm not sure how they did it but I'm very appreciative.

[This message has been edited by TheEngineer (edited 01-07-2011).]

[Kcwhippet]

It happened mainly because of the backing of MassPack. That's the Massachusetts Package Store Owners Association. There were two ballot questions - No. 1 was to repeal the alcohol sales tax, and No. 2 was to repeal the sales tax altogether. Question 2 was a no brainer to fail, so MassPack decided to lay low and let all the flak fly over No. 2. I was involved in planning meetings, and we decided to wait until Oct. 15 to start our campaign to repeal the alc. sales tax. That was only two and a half weeks before voting and we we did a full bore campaign with signs in stores, bag stuffers with plenty of info, TV and radio commercials, bumper stickers and more. We hit fast and hard and those that wanted to keep the tax never really had a chance to get organized and hit back. So, we won and there is no more tax. Almost everyone who's come into the shop since Jan. 1 has commented and they've all been favorable. What hasn't been mentioned is that there's also a state excise tax on alcohol (in addition to the federal excise tax), and I'm sure the legislators will quietly raise that tax to try to make up for the perceived shortfall.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 01-07-2011).]

[andrawes76]

That's very encouraging news. Any chance MA could repeal the direct shipments of wine by retailers and wineries into the state?

[Kcwhippet]

Most likely not anytime in our lifetimes. The local pols aren't going to do anything to stop all the contributions from the wholesalers and distributors. The WSWA has some very good friends in the Massachusetts legislature.

[Thomas]

KC, it's the same all over the country--best government that money can buy.

[Kcwhippet]

What's so sad is that people complain all the time about the pols who aren't doing what they elected them to do, but every election they put the same guys right back in office (most of the time anyway).