Water Flow Slows Firefighters 
No Injuries Reported In Regent Street Blaze

Accused Killer Says Victim Provoked Him

Friday, January 24, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





State stores score high in enforcement, revenues and benefits to public &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pennsylvania residents have better control of underage drinking than states
where liquor, wine and beer are sold in convenience stores, drug chains and
grocery storesThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety last year released a
study that indicated underage high school and college students in New York
drank twice as often, attempted to purchase alcohol twice as often, and used
false identification twice as often as Pennsylvania's underage high school and
college students. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The study attributes the lower alcohol use and attempts to purchase as the
direct result of strong laws and state-controlled liquor stores in
Pennsylvania &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state store system is far more than a "Just Say No" poster to curtail
underage drinking in Pennsylvania. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gov. Ridge and state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Mongomery, have presented
three media shows to bring the state store giveaway to the front page of every
newspaper in Pennsylvania. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All the greedy special interests want to suck more revenue for themselves
out of this publicly owned cash cow -- the state store system. The
Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette want millions of dollars
in privatized liquor store advertising. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gov. Ridge wants to bankroll his presidential ambitions in New Hampshire
and Iowa with mega-buck California wine industry contributions, Pennsylvania
Master Distributor beer bucks and billionaire sports team owners' IOUs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state store system is a cash cow that produced $250 million dollars in
each of the last three years for the State of Pennsylvania. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 These state store proceeds build bridges; fund education; provide funds for
drug and alcohol treatment, prevention and education. In addition, these taxes
and profits fund health programs for children and pay for liquor law
enforcement. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last year in New Jersey the treasury department found that 1,118 of 1,200
privatized liquor stores and bars in New Jersey failed to pay their sales
taxes and liquor taxes. The treasury department estimated that $150 million in
alcohol-beverage taxes went uncollected in New Jersey over the last three
years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In contrast, our state store system deposited every penny into the state
treasury for a total of $700 million over the same three-year period. The
state store system has produced $7.4 billion in revenue to benefit every
Pennsylvanian. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pennsylvania has the best alcohol distribution system in the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ed Cloonan &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 President &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Independent State Store Union &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Harrisburg &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

State Stores Score High In Enforcement, Revenues And Benefits To Public 
Pennsylvania Residents Have Better Control Of Underage Drinking Than States 
Where Liquor, Wine And Beer Are Sold In Convenience Stores, Drug Chains And 
Grocery Stores.

State Stores Score High In Enforcement, Revenues And Benefits To Public Pennsylvania Residents Have Better Control Of Underage Drinking Than States Where Liquor, Wine And Beer Are Sold In Convenience Stores, Drug Chains And Grocery Stores.