Wine Consumers
House Resolution 5034 is a bill that would alter the relationship between the states and the federal government where alcohol laws are concerned. It would give states unprecedented power to regulate alcohol in ways that discriminate against out-of-state businesses. It is supported by alcohol distributors: middlemen. Producers of alcohol, importers of alcohol and retailers of alcohol oppose H.R 5034.
Yesterday hearings on this bill were held in the House Judiciary Committee.
Based on yesterday's hearings ion House Resolution 5034, a few things have become perfectly clear to me:
1. The voice of the consumer is incorruptible
2. Wine lovers have no voice in politics
3. Unless wine lovers band together in such a way that their voices cannot
be ignored in those temples of democracy where their laws are made and
their fate as consumers are determined, they will find their legitimate interests ignored, sullied, played with for industrial advantage and never fulfilled.
It really is that simple.
Tom,
Thank you for your continued excellent posting on H.R. 5034 and the harm it would do for direct shipment legislation (here in Maryland we are hopefully direct shipment will become a reality next year and would hate to see it thwarted by federal law).
Just to clarify for you, H.R. is a bill, not a resolution. A simple resolution (referred to as H.Res.) would only have to pass the House and would not be enforceable as law (often used for internal rules changes and to congratulate sports teams, etc…).
Keep up the outstanding work!
Jacob
“temples of democracy?”
I believe we sold that concept to the highest bidder some time ago…
Tom,
Keep up the great work of informing people about the politics of alcohol distribution. You’re right about wine lovers needing to band together. I had a similar idea 16 years ago when baseball players went on strike and we had to listen to the players union and owners whine about inadequate compensation and such. I thought at the time, wait a minute, who is representing the fans? We’re the ones that pay for all this!
Same thing here, without wine consumers, there won’t be producers, wholesalers or distributors. Yet, where is our voice or vote in things? I think we need a wine consumers union to represent the interests of wine drinkers in the political fights. The wholesalers have the dominant voice and we all know what they’ll advocate. As you said, unless we band together, our voice won’t beheard above all the rhetoric of wholesalers doublespeak, not to mention the backroom deals carved out by well paid lobbyists.
Let’s start a wine lover’s union so we can be heard collectively as well as politically!
Tom:
FYI, the wholesalers apparently wrote the Utah AG’s testimony for the hearing. More information on the WSJ website: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/09/30/utah-ag-testimony-testament-to-lobbying-ties/
Keep up the great work!
Kevin
As always Tom, thanks for the hard work on behalf of all of us. I thought that once the big newspaper wine clubs got involved that a few politicians would have taken notice, but no luck as of yet.
Hopefully cooler, rational heads prevail in Washington at some point!