CEI Daily - Drilling Permits, Pennsylvania Liquor Regulations, and the Regulation of the Day

Drilling Permits

If the Obama Administration wanted to "create" jobs, it could restore the number of offshore drilling permits to what it was before the Gulf spill.

Research Associate Matthew Melchiorre explains.

"This is not the only way the Obama administration bungled its handling of Mexico. It wiped out thousands of jobs in our export sector, by committing a minor NAFTA violation that led to major Mexican tariffs against $2.4 billion in American exports (the violation in question blocked a measley 97 Mexican truckers from U.S. roads. Mexico retaliated with tariffs on 90 American products)."

Pennsylvania Liquor Regulations

Last week, Republican State Senator Mike Turzai unveiled legislation that would privatize the ownership and management of the state’s liquor stores.

Policy Analyst Michelle Minton explains what the legislation would do.

"The proposal would privatize wholesale operations and sell off all of the state-owned and -operated liquor stores. It would also eliminate the 18 percent Johnstown Flood tax, the ridiculously outdated mandate I wrote about earlier. It would also end the state’s 30 percent mark-up on products and institute a per-gallon excise tax between $8.25 and $12 a gallon, depending on product type. That’s quite a bit lower than the current $55 per-gallon tax the state currently draws from liquor."

Regulation of the Day

Fellow in Regulatory Studies Ryan Young presents the latest Regulation of the Day---an Illinois regulation regarding the waistband height of pants.

Read here.

Sunacom.com - Odell: State "will be looking at selling or leasing the state liquor business."

In his August 15, 2010 column on Sunacom.com, NH Senator Bob Odell writes:

"...the study committee looking for some state assets to "monetize"... will be looking at selling or leasing the state liquor business."

"...the [liquor] commission report last week suggests a net profit margin of around 24 percent. Most business people would be very happy with margins like that..." 

"...grocery stores today sell beer and wine successfully from which the state profits, and adding liquor would be a convenience for customers because grocery stores are open more hours each day including Sundays."

All media are welcome to reference, reprint in full or in part, Bob Odell's August 15, 2010 column (http://sunacom.com/columnists/odell/odell_08-15-10.html), with attribution to Sunacom.com.

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Sunacom.com is the only non-commercial, community service, online source for local town reporting, news, information and discussion for the Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire... since July, 2008.