Rs offer Ds a very stupid deal

by: the_promised_land

Fri Jan 06, 2012 at 02:43:07 PM EST

Republicans apparently have put one such deal on the table today - a very stupid deal offer that Democrats should not accept. There is a fierce fight going on over a wine bill that would legalize shipping wine via the mail and allow the opening of tasting rooms throughout the state. This fight has divided the Democratic Party - with good arguments, and significant interests, on both sides. The supporters argue that it will help New Jersey's growing wine industry and that people should have the right to order wine online; opponents say it will hurt liquor stores which are often small, immigrant-owned businesses.

Now, Republicans are saying that they will based their votes on the bill on whether other legislation that they want - such as, well, the Police Bashing Act of 2012 that I wrote about the other day. If Democrats vote for that legislation, then Republicans will allow the wine bill to go through.

Let's break this offer down. The Republicans are offering to pass a bill that already splits the Democratic Party - in exchange for passing another bill that would (a) hurt police and firefighters, who are increasingly fed up with the Governor; and (b) allow Christie to claim another "bipartisan" effort with the Legislature - which makes his poll numbers go up - while he still gets to bash Democratic leadership behind their backs.

Wow, that sounds really good, doesn't it?

NJ considering whether to uncork direct wine shipments

by: Jason Springer

Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 04:00:00 PM EST

Retailers already are allowed to direct ship, but wines from thousands of small vineyards around the nation are not available through retailers, because either the wineries are low-volume producers or they haven't forged relationships with distributors, the group says.

"This bill is not about going down and getting a $10 bottle of wine from a retailer," said Stephen Reid, senior vice president of the lobbying firm Capital Public Affairs, which is organizing the UncorkNJ effort. "This is about getting that special wine the retailer probably doesn't have."

Lloyd Benedict, chief executive officer and founder of AmericanWinery.com, a Walla Walla, Wash., company that helps vineyards sell direct, said, "New Jersey is the fastest growing wine community in the nation." This bill, he said, would give New Jersey residents "the ability to get unique wines made all over the United States, and wineries would be able get their wines" into New Jersey.