First of all, it doesn’t seem to me that the LCB has done a good job of regulating commerce in liquor at all. As you point out, there is already a problem of rowdy, drunken behavior in Ocean City; having the LCB doesn’t seem to have affected that. The LCB is not really a regulatory agency at all, they simply serve as a wholesaler of spirits (and to some extent wine). One of the interesting things about Worcester County is the existence of private retailers of spirits along with the LCB-owned stores. How do the lucky few get permission to retail spirits in competition withe the LCB? Apparently they know someone.

I agree that an ineffective management wouldn’t be a sufficient reason to dismantle the LCB, but I have no illusions that suddenly they are going to get rid of the current management and install competent, experienced management. There has been no indication that the board members are dissatisfied with the current management and, if they were, there is no indication that they would then look for person highly-skilled and competent in the liquor wholesaling business. They’ll just find another friend. Indeed, from the statements they’ve made, the LCB members don’t seem to think they’ve done anything wrong.

If the elimination of the LCB were accompanied by significant increases in licensing fees, the county and municipalities would receive the same amount of revenue while eliminating a source of inefficiency and incompetence in our county. Plenty of other counties…Anne Arundel, Howard, Talbot, Frederick, Baltimore, Harford…seem to do just fine without a Liquor Control Board. It’s time for them to go.

-Tom

The Liquor Control Board has worked pretty well over the years, both moderating commerce in liquor and returning significant revenue to Worcester County.

I agree with you that the management of the LCB is “ineffective, at best.” But ineffective management is not a sufficient reason to dismantle a useful agency. The obvious solution is to simply fix the management problems.

Also worth considering: 1) Worcester County is not alone in bucking the trend to eliminating all regulations on business, including the liquor business. All three counties on the Lower Shore have the same LCB system, and we might hesitate to break with Somerset and Wicomico on liquor control.

2) In addition to the three small Lower Shore Counties, the LCB system is also the system of preference by the largest jurisdiction in Maryland, Montgomery County.

3) The major beneficiaries of eliminating the LCB would be the Baltimore wholesalers and the Ocean City bar owners, not the people of Worcester County. Rowdy, drunken behavior is already a problem in Ocean City; liberalizing the liquor business would not improve the family atmosphere in OC.

4) For an example of serious problems in Maryland counties that don’t have a LCB, check out the alleged scandal in Prince George’s County regarding the Tick Tock bar and the outgoing county executive.

– John

why is that sad? do you think the Chinese were sad when they had to go into dirty old shit mines carrying barrels of dynamite only to be blown up while they were still inside? no, they were probably happy to be mostly free and to have opportunities. they took advantage of what they had and were probably thankful to have anything at all. clearly the Americans did not and that’s why the situation is reversed. It’s unfortunate that people in this country might actually have to work for things but the chinks and nearly every other country has done it for centuries so it’s not as bad as it seems.

My concern now is that President Obama has used up all his political capital on health care. Unless Democrats like Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin are willing to use some of their own political capital to support the president’s other proposals, I’m afraid we’ll have gridlock until November. I’m thinking about President Obama’s jobs program, Wall Street reform program, and energy program. I understand that offshore drilling is a sensitive issue, but I was disheartened by Sen. Mikulski and Sen. Cardin’s rush to distance themselves from Obama’s initiative on offshore drilling. This kind of “support” from leading Democrats is disappointing. Realistically speaking, we are not going to be able to pass a purely “green” energy package without at least a nod to either petroleum or coal, or both.

However, the low cost of housing in Worcester County, relative to the metro areas, is a plus. You can buy a nice house on the southern part of Maryland’s Eastern Shore for $150,000 or less, if it’s not waterfront. It’s always been possible to rent at reasonable prices in Ocean City, West Ocean City and Berlin, if you can sign a year-round lease. With the condo market depressed, many owners are unable to sell and are seeking long-term renters. In other words, it’s a renter’s market.

Not only housing, but the cost of most everything is lower here. I can get a haircut for $8 in OC, gasoline is lower than in the cities, and car insurance is much cheaper. And the Ocean City and Showell elementary shools are excellent, so parents don’t have to pay for private schools.

The reason I moved back to OC from Montgomery County is the low cost of living. I recommend year-round living in Worcester County to many folks who are struggling in the cities and suburbs.