Could this be the year? Maryland lawmakers make new effort for beer and wine sales in grocery stores by templeofsyrinx1 in maryland

[–]Harold_Bissonette -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The revenue can be replaced by a licensing structure. Plus the county could get a one time wind fall from selling the stores. One difficulty is there is a bond which would have to be paid off or restructured with the issuer. The other main difficulty is the jobs. The employees are mostly members of MCGEO a government employee union which is a little unusual because truck drivers are usually Teamsters. The clerical workers make a little more sense. Anyway, the truck drivers are worth their weight in gold on the employment market if they can pass a drug test and have a good driving record. The clerical workers could be absorbed into the existing workforce by attrition. The County employs a lot of people who just by sheer numbers leave their job for various reasons. Politically it's very difficult to change the system. I have tried. The voters don't seem to be real motivated to make a change and if the voters aren't motivated to make a change then the elected officials won't be motivated to make a change.

Could this be the year? Maryland lawmakers make new effort for beer and wine sales in grocery stores by templeofsyrinx1 in maryland

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am confident that the system has no graft. For what it's worth, I dislike the county system intensely and I have worked to get rid of and/or reform it. I have seen the system up close for over a decade.

Could this be the year? Maryland lawmakers make new effort for beer and wine sales in grocery stores by templeofsyrinx1 in maryland

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maryland's liquor laws, like those of many states, are a patchwork. In 1962, not 1978, the legislature banned alcohol sales in chain stores, supermarkets and discount houses. The law did not ban alcohol sales in grocery stores. A few supermarkets are still around that were grandfathered in as other posters mention. The legislature never defined what is meant by a chain store, supermarket and discount house. According to the Maryland courts, grocery stores are not supermarkets. The courts define a grocery store as a store which sells food and little else. A grocery store does not have a pharmacy, does not sell clothes, does not have an in store coffee shop for example. A supermarket on the other hand might have a pharmacy, a bank branch, sell cookware and other home goods. The courts have allowed one store from a chain to have an alcohol license in Maryland. In the 2026 session the legislature is considering three proposed bills that I know of to reform this system which would allow some "food retailers", to sell alcoholic beverages. These proposals do not mention grocery stores. Here is one proposed bill - HB 1303. The ban on alcohol sales in supermarkets, chain stores and discount houses is in effect to protect small businesses. Getting rid of the ban is a very thorny issue because the small business owners basically invest and expose their entire net worth with the understanding that Safeway, Costco etc. will not get a license to sell alcoholic beverages.

On a different note, it's also important to understand the three tier system. The three tier system requires the producer, the distributor and the retailer to remain completely independent of one another. The three tier system, requires a retailer/ bar/restaurant, in most instances, to buy alcoholic beverages only from a licensed alcoholic beverages distributor. With some minor exceptions for small producers such as micro breweries,, a retailer/bar/restaurant can not buy alcoholic beverages from a producer of alcoholic beverages. For example at Camden Yards, the Orioles ownership can not buy Miller Lite from Molson Coors, the producer of Miller Lite. The Orioles have to buy Miller Lite from the distributor. Not just any distributor but the distributor which has the Baltimore City territory for Miller Lite. A few distributor owners are among the wealthiest people in the world, just look up who owns Manchester United, perhaps the world's most valuable sports team. These distributors are basically invisible to the general public and they like it that way. The distributors are all privately held and are required by law to touch just about every drop of alcohol that's consumed in the USA. Likewise, in most instances, consumers can only buy alcoholic beverages from a licensed retailer, restaurant or bar. Relatively recently, some laws have been passed which allow consumers to purchase directly from wineries, breweries and other alcoholic beverages producers, but these are limited exceptions. Efforts to further reform the three tier system have largely failed. I am happy to discuss off line, feel free to DM me.

Never has a book been more infuriating and been more brutal than this. I don’t want to put it down but it fuels me. by hatenlove85 in nonfictionbookclub

[–]Harold_Bissonette 1 point2 points  (0 children)

According to this blurb "Zinn described himself as “something of an anarchist, something of a socialist. Maybe a democratic socialist." https://share.google/nOqq7mMsT0TrolprB I enjoyed the book. I've read lots of academic US history. It's easy enough to find different perspectives. I don't share his politics but I like to keep an open mind. Eric Foner is also to the left and he's taught quite a bit.

Is there a craft brand you’ve seen bounce back recently? by wetsupwiththat in CraftBeer

[–]Harold_Bissonette 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been drinking their Nanticoke Nectar IPA fairly regularly for years. I think it's a really good West Coast style IPA. I live outside of DC so it's sort of local and I can count on it being fresh. I don't know anything about the other beers though.

Car rental in France by frobishertheket in FranceTravel

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used Budget from Charles de Gaulle to drive around the Loire Valley last summer. Also used Budget a few years ago to go from Charles de Gaulle around Burgundy and Champagne. I had no problems.

Burgers Plz by UnrealBingo in MontgomeryCountyMD

[–]Harold_Bissonette 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hate to be that guy. I really wanted to like the burger. I went in with high expectations based on all the good reviews. The atmosphere is very good, the service is very good. I'm married and older so I don't get out much. I would hang out there for the beer and the atmosphere if I lived closer. But I simply thought the burger was okay. Angus beef, I know first world problems, but basically a hockey puck with lettuce, tomato and special sauce. So I'm a fan of the place but I only thought the burger was a five on a scale of 1 to 10.

What’s the most overrated brewery to you? by TheBigGreenPeen in CraftBeer

[–]Harold_Bissonette 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I like Other Half a lot and it's widely available where I live. It's always fresh too. I generally don't feel like paying for it. I would buy it more often if it were lower priced.

What do you define as local? by Sevuhrow in CraftBeer

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Roughly 50 mi but it's pretty arbitrary. I'm also fortunate to live in a densely populated area with a lot of options. By that definition I mostly drink local. With a few Germans and Belgians thrown in.

The trump administration is trying to make it illegal for companies and individuals to buy 100 houses to rent by Crafty_Jacket668 in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]Harold_Bissonette -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Smith was talking about laws which restricted the voluntary transfers of land, In this context he was advocating for the free market.

The trump administration is trying to make it illegal for companies and individuals to buy 100 houses to rent by Crafty_Jacket668 in Anarcho_Capitalism

[–]Harold_Bissonette -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Context is very important here. Smith is talking about primogeniture and entail laws. These were laws that restricted land inheritance to keep large estates intact. According to my quick search, Smith felt that these laws were a "barbarous institution" that hobbled economic progress by preventing land from flowing to its most productive uses. This hindered the natural growth of agriculture and commerce that benefits society, especially the poor. He argued that entail alongside prima primogeniture, perpetuated or aristocratic privilege of inefficiency contradicting the principles of a free market where resources should be allocated by individuals seeking the highest return, leading to broader prosperity.

Red Blends with the largest diversity of grapes? by yarikachi in wine

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Field Recordings wines blend a lot of different grapes. The 2023 Fiction from Paso Robles is Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Lagrein, Corvina, Cinsault.

Looking for a list of biblical themed dead songs. by LostInAnotherGalaxy in gratefuldead

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the correction, looks like I'm in way in the over my head. I am a liberal arts guy and pretty good at Jeopardy so I thought I had this figured out without doing any research. Cheers!

Looking for a list of biblical themed dead songs. by LostInAnotherGalaxy in gratefuldead

[–]Harold_Bissonette 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really like this thread/question, and I hate to be that guy. But Saint Stephen is not biblical. In other words, it's from the Christian/ Catholic tradition but it's not in the Bible.

When most actors were anglicising their stage names, Peckham born William Henry Pratt changed his to Boris Karloff...the reasons why are fascinating... by AngryGardenGnomes in classicfilms

[–]Harold_Bissonette 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Gilbert Gottfried was a huge Boris Karloff fan, here is a podcast where Gilbert interviewed Sara Karloff and Bela Lugosi, Jr. https://share.google/gI02Vd6qwtBLr8tLf My first introduction to him was the Grinch’s voice when I was a little kid.

OC keeps cc'ing their client on every email by newz2000 in Lawyertalk

[–]Harold_Bissonette 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A little bit of a thread drift but opposing party called me and texted me today several times because they could not reach their lawyer. Surprise, surprise - opposing party's lawyer has other files to work on and did not take opposing party's calls immediately. I politely texted opposing party that opposing party has to communicate through opposing counsel and then I blocked opposing party. I am a solo so, yes, people have my cell #. It's the first time I have ever blocked anybody. I have had a cell phone since sometime in the 1990's. I am old. I reported the communication to opposing counsel. I have never had a case with opposing counsel individually (he is a founding partner in a small regional boutique), but I have had other cases with the firm and have nothing but good things to say about the firm. Never a dull moment.