Tennessee: Call us Missibama

Nothing but more shame for my home state of Tennessee. The state legislature is well on their way to surpassing Mississippi and Alabama in bigotry and institutionalized ignorance. It's like they are competing in a competition to be the most arrogantly stupid and backwater so Jesus will love them bestest. "We're bigots who hate science! That makes us Christianer than you!"

This year the state went out of their way to override and strip metropolitan areas from the LGBT equality protections they had already enacted, and they keep pushing for approval of the "can't say gay" in schools bill.

And now: they've passed a law to teach "creationism" as science in schools.

And they still shoot down any effort to allow wine sales in the grocery store. (And don't even think about selling liquor. Praise Jeebus.)

They way things are going, their next act will be to change the state flag to a movie still from Deliverance.

bitch and wine, part II

I've ranted before on the whole corrupt "can't buy wine in a grocery store in Tennessee" thing.

And it continues. And Cousin Barry seems to be out in front.

From the local (Nashville) ABC affiliate:



The legislator says, "This is a complicated issue."

NO, actually. It's NOT.

There are only two arguments for keeping wine out of grocery stores:

(1) Financial-the lobby of those with a monopoly on wine sales and distribution would lose money if re-opened to retail competition.

(2) Religious: Small-town and small-minded Christianists think that alcohol is evil and will destroy families, therefore should be able for sale but not conveniently or where people sell food. Wait, sorry, beer is just fine. But wine? Eeeeeviiiiiil. (Only book-learnin' liberal commies drink wine anyway.)

Neither point should hold any legal merit. And on top of it all, the prohibition is anti-American.

It's against freedom of choice, freedom of (and from) religion, free markets, free market-capitalism, and just the freedom to pick up a bottle of freakin' wine when I buy the steaks instead of driving across town and making another stop. (It's even anti-environment!) And the freedom of all retailers to offer the same products should they choose to.

Selling wine in a grocery store is not a complex issue at all, and it's embarrassing that the Tennessee legislature thinks it is. Of course, the money from these lobbies and special interest groups is legendary, as is the corruption of the typical Tennessee legislator.

UPDATE: This e-mail just in from Cousin Barry—

I would like to bend your ear for a quick second to tell you about an important issue that you may have seen in the news recently. The sale of wine in food stores has tremendous consumer support. I have been a supporter of Red White and Food since the first days of the campaign last year. Yesterday - I went to Capital Hill and spoke to a Wine Study Committee about this hot topic. There are thousands and thousands more Tennesseans like me who believe this change is possible in our state. This won't be my last time I go to the Capital to speak. The Wine Study Committee will likely meet again in November and at the first of the year. I will need you to attend with me. It is important to just be there in the audience and let them know we are watching. I will let you know a date and time - let's be ready to make ourselves known personally.

I am president of the newly formed Red White and Food Voters Political Action Committee. Here is where I need your help today.

PACs normally accept money from a small group of people, e.g. executives in a particular type of business. The Red White and Food Voter PAC is different. All the money we raise will come from everyday consumers who want more choice.

If you would like to be able to buy a bottle of wine in food stores - please go to www.redwhiteandfood.com and donate and join TODAY! We can accept contributions from anyone who wants wine sales in retail food stores. You decide - even if it's just $5. Legislators will be paying as much attention to how many people give as how much they give.

Tell your friends.
Thank you.

bitch and wine

This issue has always pissed me off. I could fall into a long commentary/rant now but I won't. I think the most succinct summary of the issue would be: corruption, corruption, corruption, as it has always been. (I love my home state, and continually feel nothing but shame for its politicians and the legislature. See also.)

Basically, Tennessee law not only prohibits wine and liquor sales in grocery stores, but prohibits wine or liquor from being sold in the same store or even space as beer—or even mixers (so one has to drive to two stores to buy gin and tonic)—and requires all alcohol products to go through an entirely artificial wholesaler industry, which tacks own their own tariffs to prices before products can hit retail shelves.

By this situation:

• One can't buy a bottle of wine while shopping for dinner.
• If you drive to the liquor store for wine or liquor, buying limes, juices, soda, and other mixers require an additional trip somewhere else.
• If you drive to the liquor store to stock up on wine or liquor (for the bar, a party, personal use, catering etc.) a beer run also requires another trip.
• If you visit wine country, as an individual or a wine shop, the winery cannot ship your selections back to Tennessee or to your shop, because it has to go through an artificial middleman first. Special orders from small wineries or breweries are out to, unless you go through the middlemen.
  

It's all sorts of fucked up. And has been for, according to my dad, basically ever.

Why?

• Rural legislators who are or represent hypocritical pious Christianists who want to make it as difficult as possible for the public to buy the devil's temptation of wine and liquor. (Beer, apparently, has been conceded.)
  
• Insane amounts of money thrown at politicians by the beer interests to keep the competition of wine away from grocery and convenience stores.
• Insane amounts of money thrown at politicians by the wholesaler lobby who want to keep making a fortune of an unnecessary middleman operation.

Brother Mac gets even more riled about this than I do. I see it as an obstruction to free trade and a violation of church and state (because the most cited reasons for this situation are religious, not to mention the "can't buy booze on Sunday" ridiculousness).

And now this in the Tennesseean: Bill to allow wine in grocery stores fails

Ugh.