Is Prohibition on the Horizon Again?
By bert on February 18, 2009 at 11:00 AM in Current Affairs
The economy is tanking. Malls are closing. Unemployment is high. IRA’s and Money Markets are fast losing money.
I need something to help me relax; get my mind off the news. Maybe I will just slip down to the neighborhood bar for a bottle of beer. Tell a few jokes and have some good laughs with my friends.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Not if you live in Oregon. There the cost of beer could go up. Way, way up. I’m talking by 1900%.
Yes. You heard that right.
The Oregon House is considering a House Bill 2461, which would impose a $49.61 tax on each barrel of beer produced by Oregon brewers.
According to Eric Adams of television station KGW in Portland:
“Specifically, the bill says it would fund prevention, treatment and recovery programs for those addicted to alcohol and other substances.”
That is always a worthy goal. But is it the role of our government to legislate morality or regulate how we live or each and every personal decision we make?
But is that the real reason for this bill? Or is there something else the legislators are looking at?
As always, friends, follow the money.
“The tax would raise revenue for the state at a time when budgets are running in the red.”
According to Adams, “Brewers are hopping mad.”
You can view the rest of the story here.
There are a lot of small and family-sized and owned brewing businesses in Oregon. This tax could cripple them making the economic slowdown even worse, not to mention increase unemployment figures.
Legal and Constitutional scholar, Jonathan Turley’s weighs-in on his website,
“Legislators trying to fill budget gaps across the country can also rely on recent studies showing a correlation between tax increases and sobriety.
“Yet, there has been no study on the political impact of when people finally sober up and realize how legislators in Congress and the states have fouled up the economy.
“Fortunately, scientists are now working on a pill to erase bad memories.”
You can view the rest of the story here.
That old saying comes to mind – the more things change, the more they stay the same.
What do you think about this?
60% Off at $84.00: 
OR buy the DVD version for 40% off at $20.99: 
DVD Version: 
- An account of the steady growth of President Clinton as a master of the game of nations.
