Littlest Hobo
TRIBE Member
A pro-LCBO release from the LCBO employee's union? I'm shocked!
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LCBO to be sold?!?
- Thread starter OTIS
- Start date
If this were to go through, the deal would be something like this(or so I've heard).
LCBO would essentially be licensed out to a pivate company.
The private company would pay the estimated value of the LCBO over the lifetime of the license.
i.e. if the license would be for say 20 years. And it is estimated that the LCBO would make 1 billion a year in each of those 20 years, the sale would be for 20 billion dollars. Part of which would be paid up front, the rest to be paid out yearly in terms of the licensing fee.
At the end of the day, Ontario would end up with roughly the same amount of money at the end of the licensing period as it would if it remained the sole proprietor.
It's a simply a difference of getting 1/2 of the 20 (or however many) years worth of profit up front and the remainder over the 20 years vs. it being more spread out over a long period of time.
And at the end of the licensing period, Ontario would regain sole ownership.
Not sure what to make of it quite yet though.
Aussie Paul
TRIBE Member
VQ
I hear your point and would never start a pissing contest with you when it comes to wine.
I'll be very interested to know if your opinion changes once you have lived in Australia for a year or more. I think that long term you'll enjoy the ability to discover new and different wine (not to mention competition) over the comfort level in product & service of shopping in a monopolized, government controlled chain store.
AP
10:30 is pretty late, but wouldn't you want the option of buying later than that? The choice should be yours as a responsible adult, if you want it, and it is legal, you should be able to get it. I find it strange that you accept such a paternal attitude towards the sale of booze from the government.
The unionization of the employees does nothing to stop the sale of booze to minors or alcohol abusers IMO. It only protects the employees from being fired if they get caught doing it. How much of the money you spend on your bottles are paying glorified cashiers? I'd rather have the person ringing me through get paid $9.00/hour if it saves me a buck or two on my case.
Who is being protected by the government's policies on liquor sales, I don't think that there would be a huge difference if the system were privatized. I don't think the govt's attitude towards the control of alcohol is helping anyone, whose best interest are they looking out for?
The AB government has done just fine, raking in as much, if not more from privatization, I will see if I can find some stats, but from my experience I can say this...no one ever talks or even brings up the idea of re-privatization in AB. People are very happy with the system there, it allows for the type of liquor sales that the market demands. In a small farming community the beer store may close early because the demand to stay open is nil, but in Edmonton or Calgary there is a demand for booze until 1 am, why not sell it?
As far as the choice thing goes, in my experience, the choice is far less at an LCBO than in the average liquor store in my home town, we have 7 by the way. While that is just my personal experience, I can say this; the LCBO may be able to get 2,800 types of liquor, but they don't. The variety at the average LCBO is minimal, just because they can doesn't mean they do.
edit- Linguo would be pissed at me. Sorry about the grammar.
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janiecakes
TRIBE Member
There are LCBO locations that are open until 11.00.
I'd rather pay an extra buck or two on my case and have someone paid a living wage rather than save a buck or two and pay someone shit.
Littlest Hobo
TRIBE Member
The LCBO used to have awesome bags. They were the hobo's choice. Excellent for kitty litter. Now they have 2 types of bags, both smaller volumetrically, and both are thinner.
Normally, this sort of thing doesn't piss me off. But when you're paying sometimes $100+ for an item, and the store is making billions of $$, don't you think a sturdy receptacle for your purchases is in order?
janiecakes
TRIBE Member
I still use 'em for kitty litter hobo!
Littlest Hobo
TRIBE Member
My cat's not fat, she's well-marbled! Thus the big boom-boom.
I double bag it now, thus increasing cat-poop resources by 100%. That's not very efficient. But I don't take any chances with cat poop.
I double bag it now, thus increasing cat-poop resources by 100%. That's not very efficient. But I don't take any chances with cat poop.
janiecakes
TRIBE Member
"sell the fascists bitch i say"
interesting.
ahaha
interesting.
ahaha
Some links for both sides:
http://www.taxpayer.com/ltts/sk/August12-03.htm
http://oldfraser.lexi.net/publications/pps/5/
http://www.consumer.ca/1553
http://www.fcpp.org/publication_detail.php?PubID=91
The jury is definitely still out on this one...
http://www.taxpayer.com/ltts/sk/August12-03.htm
http://oldfraser.lexi.net/publications/pps/5/
http://www.consumer.ca/1553
http://www.fcpp.org/publication_detail.php?PubID=91
The jury is definitely still out on this one...
Dr Funk MD
TRIBE Promoter
When it comes to things like product selection and pricing I don't think that you can argue that a privatized system would improve these things. Can you honestly say that a private company like Walmart or The Bay or even your local grocery store makes an effort to stock smaller brands and local products and generally a wide variety of products. No, they stock whatever is popular and profitable. Likely you'll just see rows and rows of Ernst and Julio Gallo. Forget about small local wines.
Secondly, I think that when it comes to alcohol I feel much better that the government is running the business rather then private business that would take profit over responsibily any day of the week. I like that they turn down so many minors at the register. Look at it this way, if you smoke, how many times could you just walk up to a convenience store counter when you were a teenager and buy smokes. I bet every smoker has been able to do this at least once if not many times. If cigarettes were only available in stores like the LCBO then I'm sure you'd be less likely to purchase them under age and I don't think you can really put a dollar figure on that.
Secondly, I think that when it comes to alcohol I feel much better that the government is running the business rather then private business that would take profit over responsibily any day of the week. I like that they turn down so many minors at the register. Look at it this way, if you smoke, how many times could you just walk up to a convenience store counter when you were a teenager and buy smokes. I bet every smoker has been able to do this at least once if not many times. If cigarettes were only available in stores like the LCBO then I'm sure you'd be less likely to purchase them under age and I don't think you can really put a dollar figure on that.
You're missing the point here. The government MAKES profit from the LCBO on top of the taxes it collects from the sale of alcohol which go directly into government coffiers. If it was privatized, they would only receive tax dollars.
You're obviously don't know about how the LCBO USED to be. It was a terribly managed bureaucracy for years with little marketing or public relations. To see how far the LCBO has come in the last twenty years is remarkable. It is a shinning example of how the public choice model can work to the satisfaction of both the client and the firm.
Littlest Hobo
TRIBE Member
I'm shedding a single tear, whilst clutching a rose. I'm trying to find my violin, but it's the world's smallest, so I may be awhile.
It took 20 years for the government to get their act together? You're boasting this? If the private sector were involved, this shit would have been straightened out in months.
You don't work for the LCBO, do you?
Dr Funk MD
TRIBE Promoter
It basically boils down to this: Why would the Ontario government sell the only consistantly profitable branch of it's domain?
It's just plain retarded.
It's just plain retarded.
I don't get it? Your shedding a tear from what? The profit that goes into provincial coffiers goes to paying for education, health care, subsidized housing and welfare. If it were privatized, the profit would go into the pockets of some foreign owned private consortium.
Months? Please. Because we all know what a success Air Canada has been since it was sold off by the federal government. And the 407, gee, their customer service sure has improved since its been privatized. There's nothing like sitting on hold for hours at a time waiting for a representative.
Dr Funk MD
TRIBE Promoter
If that's the way it's going to be run (with a lease) then I might accept that, but if it's an outright sale then it would suck ass.
If you're going to sell something, sell the OPP. With all the drug money they pull in in a year they should be WAY more profitable. I blame mismanagement.
Neo-Marxist
TRIBE Member
Selling the LCBO is a brilliant idea that makes a lot of sense. For their next trick, the Liberal government of Ontario will be selling a delicious mixture of nuts and gum to eliminate the deficit.