The state of Washington controlled liquor through a combination of state owned stores and some privately owned stores. Then Costco, who wanted to get it's Kirkland Brand of booze into the state funded a referendum to the tune of $20 million to allow liquor sales in grocery stores and big box retailers.
They sold it under the "your booze prices will go down through greater competition" concept. The referendum passed, with the legislature writing in an agreement with the wholesalers to pay enough tax on the booze sales to offset the state's revenue loss from closing all of the state owned stores.
All the people who voted "no' were happy because they were told during the campaign that the prices would go down. But of course the opposite happened as wholesalers have to pass the cost on to the retailers who in turn pass it on to the consumers and now the prices are going up.
Except for Costco and other big players, who get to warehouse it's own products, bypassing the wholesalers.
Ahhhh... ain't "democracy" grand?
That's what you get for living in a state that allows referendums on everything.
No shit! The people are smart enough as a whole to self govern.
