Title
Urging the Philadelphia Delegation of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to oppose House Bill 790 and the proposed privatization of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Wine and Spirits Stores.
Body
WHEREAS, On January 30, 2013, Governor Corbett announced a new plan aimed at the privatization of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) and, on March 5, 2013, State Representative Mike Turzai introduced House Bill 790 as a means to implement this plan; and
WHEREAS, The state store system is an asset that currently generates more than five hundred million dollars annually, providing a steady and increasing source of revenue to the state treasury; and
WHEREAS, The PLCB also serves an important role in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of Pennsylvanians by ensuring that only appropriately aged, responsible parties are able to purchase retail alcohol; and
WHEREAS, The proposed privatization of state wine and spirit stores may also have a significant and detrimental impact on the City of Philadelphia through the proliferation of numerous, additional alcohol establishments throughout the City and, in its various communities and neighborhoods, causing a negative impact on the public health and safety of Philadelphia and its citizens; and
WHEREAS, The state store system provides more than 4,000 family-sustaining jobs that privatization likely would be replaced by part-time, minimum wage jobs with no benefits; and
WHEREAS, The goals of maintaining a steady stream of revenue, protecting the health, safety, and welfare of Pennsylvanians and supporting family-sustaining jobs heavily outweigh the benefit of a one-time cash infusion to the state treasury resulting from the sale of the state store system; and
WHEREAS, Various parties, from corporations to labor unions, oppose House Bill 790 including, but not limited to, Anheuser-Busch, Brewers of Pennsylvania (which includes Yuengling, Troegs Brewing, and Appalachian Brewing companies), MillerCoors, Pennsylvania Beer Alliance, and the United Food and Commercial Workers; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That this Council hereby urges the Philadelphia Delegation to oppose House Bill 790 and the proposed privatization of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Wine and Spirits Stores.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk is directed to forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Philadelphia Delegation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Pennsylvania Senate and Pennsylvania House of Representatives as evidence of the grave concern of this legislative body.
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