the unequivocal notion

Increased tax on beer and wine fails in committee

I’ll update with stories as they come in.

Updated:

Update II:

Yes: Reps. Collins, Barrett, Moyle, Raybould, Roberts, Schaefer, Clark, Bedke, Harwood, Hart, Killen, Ruchti, and Burgoyne.
No: Reps. Lake, Smith, Wood, Sayler, and Rusche.

More here from Betsy Russell.

Update III

AP story at KTVB. Brian Murphy’s story here.

MADD out of control

This is, um, just wow.

What was once an organization with a noble and realistic cause has turned into an organization that isn’t against drunk driving, but an organization that is against drinking. The sad part is that they’re willing to step on the Constitution in order to enact their fundamentalist goals.

You know an organization has gone rogue when its own founder doesn’t even agree with them anymore.

Beer and wine tax increase will get introduced

Idaho Statesman

I gotta say, I’m kinda surprised that it made it to committee, albeit by one vote.

Updated:

Changed some wording above. And check out this post from Dr. Jasper M. LiCalzi on “The Promotion of Temperance and Morality”. Hypocrisy has no bounds in Idaho’s government.

Don’t Tax My Beer and Wine

Don’t Tax My Beer and Wine — a new website opposing the proposed tax increase on beer and wine in Idaho.

Updating from my previous stance, I’m not sure where I stand on this. On one hand, it’s an area that could raise some much needed revenue for the state (people will continue to buy booze in a recession), but, on the other hand I don’t want it to hurt any local businesses. I may have to consult my good friends at Indian Creek to get their take on it before I solidify my position.

I hate to see any taxes raised, but I also understand that the state does need money to operate and having an operational state is good for everyone. The hike just doesn’t seem that outrageous to me. It’d cost me personally, about 20 bucks or so, more a year in taxes. But, that being said, I don’t agree with how the money is being doled out — I’d rather see it go into the general — alcohol ≠ drug abuse.

…And that being said, I have a lot of respect for Keith Allred, but I don’t see him breaking into any of the inner circles he’ll need to get this passed. The full weight of the anti-tax brigade will be on this with all they’ve got. That’s the thing about Idaho, they’ll gladly dump a teacher before they ask anyone to pay a nickel more for a beer.

Something else with the website; it’s nice, they have a Twitter feed, a Facebook account and the like, it looks grassroots, but is it? IACI is opposed to the increased tax and I wouldn’t put it past them to be involved with the website — or it could be a function of the lobbying association representing the beer and wine distributors.

If there is one thing that I don’t like, it’s faked grassroot movements.

Inauguration grub

I could really go for this… inag_lunch You can check out the recipes for the dishes at the official inauguration website.

Pinot? Pinot? I told you that this administration has potential — and molasses sweet potatoes — that’s gonna wind up on the dinner table before this cold weather decides to call it a season.

Higher beer & wine taxes proposed

…And here is the thing, even after my post about alcohol taxes earlier in the week I don’t have a problem with this.

Idaho Statesman:

Non-partisan group asks for higher beer, wine tax

BOISE, Idaho — The nonpartisan group The Common Interest is pushing Idaho lawmakers to raise the tax on beer and wine, saying the money should be put toward substance abuse treatment programs.

[...]

The state tax on beer, currently set at 15 cents per wholesale gallon, hasn’t been raised since 1961, Allred said, and the wine tax (currently 45 cents per gallon) hasn’t been raised since it was established in 1971.

Allred proposed hiking the beer tax to 52 cents per gallon and the wine tax to $1.56 per gallon, and using the additional $19 million raised by the hike to pay for substance abuse programs. That, in turn, would likely reduce the state’s overcrowded prison population, he said.

But Bill Roden, a former lawmaker turned lobbyist representing the beer and wine industry, said the proposal amounted to a selective excise tax that would unfairly make a portion of the population responsible for paying for a public health problem. The majority of inmates in Idaho prisons attributed their criminal behavior to methamphetamine abuse, not alcohol, Roden said.

Note the lobbyist’s comment — these people never cease to amaze me.

My issue with the excessive alcohol tax is just that — it’s excessive — it isn’t a fair tax. If the tax rates on beer and wine haven’t been changed since 1961 and 1971 respectively, then maybe it’s time to raise them.

There is no doubt that alcohol in the hands of irresponsible people has significant costs for society, but responsible drinkers shouldn’t be punished excessively. I do think that alcohol (beer, wine, booze) is an excess and should be taxed at a higher rate than staples or other food items — well, that being said, food shouldn’t be taxed at all.

This will actually be an interesting bill to keep an eye on if it makes it that far. On one hand you’ll have Republicans who don’t want to be seen as raising any taxes, but on the other hand you’ll have the Conservatives who would love to impose higher taxes on any form of alcohol.

We should be looking for ways to balance our tax structure, to make it fair. Unfortunately Idaho politicians are all too happy to increase taxes on one set of people or products in order to lower it for another set of people or products.

Cheers!

Raise a glass of whatever brew, vino or concoction you so desire and toast the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment!

75 years ago today religious zealots were beaten back and the 21st Amendment was ratified thus allowing Americans the choice to imbibe or not to imbibe.

Garry Scholz on holiday wines

Good, informative read in the Idaho Statesman.

One qualm though, he recommends Ste. Chappell’s Soft Red as a "semi-sweet wine anyone can enjoy while snacking". Yeah, if you think liquefied candied apples and cherry Jolly Ranchers with and extra cup of sugar tossed in is enjoyable while snacking.

I don’t really dig most wines from Ste. Chappell, (sans their sauvignon blanc which is pretty decent and a great value in the summer time) but I can handle them, except for the Soft Red, I just can’t do it.

If you need a great wine to go with that bird of yours tomorrow I recommend Indian Creek’s Pinot Noir (are you surprised?), that’s what we’re having for our 2 Thanksgiving dinners. This will be the first year since 2003 that we’ve gone without Beaujolais Nouveau — it’s just not a good enough wine for the environmental impact that it causes — and I got tired of being sucked into a stupid marketing ploy.

Will restaurants cut crazy wine prices due to the recession?

I certainly hope so.

Lowering the drinking age back in the news

And this time it has some pretty stiff support behind it.

KBCI:

College of Idaho president wants drinking age debate

BOISE - College presidents from about 100 of the nation’s best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

And one of those college presidents supporting the proposal is College of Idaho president Robert Hoover.

"It’s time for us to have a discussion, to have good research about what alternatives might be," Hoover said Tuesday from Coeur d’Alene. "The system is broke. It’s broken and its time for us to have a discussion about how we might better fix it."

The movement, called the Amethyst Initiative, began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age.

[...]

A recent Associated Press analysis of federal records found that 157 college-age people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005.*

At 18:

You can wear the uniform of your country and fight in its wars — you should be able to imbibe a beer if you so choose.
You are legally obligated to any contract you sign — you should be able to order a rum & coke at the bar.
You are granted the ability to vote, one of the most sacred rights of our country — you should be able to enjoy a bottle of wine with your family.
You commit a crime, our law system considers you an adult, fully aware and responsible for the repercussions of your actions — you should be able to order a frothy brew with your burger & fries.

You’re either considered an adult by your country’s laws or not, it’s that simple. If they want to keep the drinking age at 21 then they should raise all definitions of being an adult to 21. Or they can lower the drinking age back to 18 and start making people take some personal responsibility for their actions.

*just goes to show you can’t legislate Darwinism.

BLOGS: Fermentation

Restaurant atmosphere

I was reading some local restaurant reviews today and it just got me to thinking about how much emphasis Americans put on the "looks" of a restaurant. I’ve always thought this to be an interesting phenomenon, one that in my experience, is strangely American.

I know that some of the best food I had in Korea came from street vendors and little family operated hole in the wall places that sat 8 or 12 people. Some of the best BBQ I’ve had in the south came from little mom & pop shops with nary a picture hanging on the wall — rude waitresses to boot. These people serve good food, they don’t have time for nitpicky customers. I know the best Mexican food I’ve had came from the little shacks that dot the beaches along the Caribbean Sea on the Yucatan, not from the upscale places and chains that dominate Cancun (of course, if you dig into Cancun’s underbelly, you can find some good grub).

Does it really matter if a restaurant is located in a strip mall or if it comes from a taco truck parked along the road? Too many restaurants open up putting too much thought and effort (and money) into what the place looks like instead of the food. If the food is good people will come, and they’ll come back. Frankly, I’ve always felt that white tablecloth service is just a tad overrated.

Not a big deal really, I just think it’s odd that so many people judge a restaurant based on the appearance of the place instead of the actual food — and it seems to make up a large portion of local restaurant reviews.

As an afterthought… this reminds me of people who think that good wine just can’t come in a bottle with a screwcap, or heck even a box. From my experience, those that require such formalities don’t appreciate the wine that’s in the bottle; they are more concerned with how much the bottle costs.

Another volley in the IPT Treasure Valley wino debate

Idaho Press-Tribune:

Valley’s wineries don’t pose risk

The Treasure Valley’s growing wine industry provides economic opportunities and additional leisure-time activities in the valley, including concerts and other gatherings.

It’s one way Canyon County is also retaining ties to its agricultural heritage.

Civic leaders have worked hard to win recognition for the area’s vineyards and vintners, in part to help develop a reputation for Southwest Idaho as a tourist destination for those who like to visit wineries and taste different wines.

Some critics point out, however, that they feel the effort to expand the number of wineries encourages more people to drink and promotes more alcoholism.

While it’s true that government shouldn’t be in the business of encouraging the public to drink, that’s not happening here. Every adult has a choice about whether he or she wants to drink alcohol. As a matter of personal responsibility, that individual also must ensure the safety of others by not driving while drunk

[...]

Many things that offer benefits to some can be abused by others, but in the U.S. we value personal freedom to make that choice.

[...]

Individuals must be responsible when they drink. However, the chance that someone will have a few too many isn’t a reason to suppress the rights of others who can choose moderation.

This is probably the best smack down thus far, you should really read the thing in full.

Unfortunately, people from a certain political ideology can’t grasp the fact that other people should be allowed to make their own decisions — and live with either the rewards or consequences of those decisions. They’d rather just outlaw anything they don’t deem fit for their neighbor.

More “wow” in the Idaho Press-Tribune regarding vino

And the saga continues in the battle between those who happen to enjoy a drink now & again and those who think prohibition was a nifty idea.

Today’s "Best Read" in Idaho Press-Tribune (this guy sounds like he could use a drink):

Alcohol is destroying lives, and enabling it is dangerous

M.L. Vaughn, who objected to turning this valley into wino country, was right on the mark. The one who defended the use of wine is as wrong as one can be.

Wine killed my wife. Wine killed my love for her!

You who consider yourself a moderate social drinker and believe you can get through life without harming anyone are kidding yourselves.

Perhaps you have never joined those who have taken to the wheel after one or two drinks or have never beaten your wife in a drunken rage — but listen up! You are part and parcel of the continuing highway slaughter. You are the enablers who support the system. You are as guilty as those who have taken innocent lives — you are today’s Vietnam — worse!

When will the media end their support of the vineyards? When will the drinking society clear their minds? When will the so-called disease ever be cured? When will compassion for the innocent end the debauchery?

You know the answers as well as I do.

Mark this: Alcohol is ever the stupidity of the human race!

Bruce Merrick, Caldwell

I’ve never understood the mindset that just because you can’t handle something — you think everyone else can’t either.

Who ever would have thought…

…That promoting Treasure Valley wineries would turn valley residents into a bunch of stumbling winos.

I’ll cheers to that.

Idaho Statesman on Idaho’s female vintners

A good read for this gorgeous summer morning in the Valley.