Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s War On Craft Beer

[underpants]

BOOO!!!


http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/10/239780/wisconsin-craft-beer/
Tucked into Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) much-discussed budget was a little-noticed provision to overhaul the state’s regulation of the beer industry. In a state long associated with beer, the provision will make it much more difficult for the Wisconsin’s burgeoning craft breweries to operate and expand their business by barring them from selling directly to restaurants and liquor stores, and preventing them from selling their own product onsite.

The new provision treats craft brewers — the 60 of whom make up just 5 percent of the beer market in Wisconsin — like corporate mega-brewers, forcing them to use a wholesale distributor to market their product. Under the provision, it would be illegal, for instance, for a small brewer located near a restaurant to walk next door to deliver a case of beer. They’ll have to hire a middle man to do it instead.

But more noteworthy than the provision itself is how it was enacted. The provision was quietly slipped in the massive budget legislation without any consultation from independent craft brewers, who are justifiably outraged by it. One group that clearly did have input, however, is one of the world’s largest beer makers — MillerCoors

The provision is a classic bit of rent-seeking from MillerCoors, who appear to be seeking to preserve their current market share with the power of the state government.

[PeaceNikki]

1. and HISSSSS

Total fucking recall.

[snacker]

2. Shame! n/t

[MyUncle]

3. More Government Regulations from the Republicans.

I say as I drink a craft beer right now, as I type.

[underpants]

7. protecting the corporate masters from 5% loss of the market

I don't drink beer any more but all my buddies who do drink nothing but these craft type beers. In fact several of them made their own beer back in the early 90's. The big brewers swooped in buy some of these microbrews but hey is that what "entrepreneurship" is all about?

[Scuba]

16. Miller is a big donor. n/t

[wtmusic]

4. I think I smell a MillerCoors boycott

or maybe it's just their beer.

[underpants]

8. I used to love Coors banquet beer

but I stopped buying it when I found out the wild RW tangents that they fund.

[mysuzuki2]

5. if we needed more proof of Walker's evilness this is it.

first the assault on unions, then the disenfranchisement of 1000's of citizens, the tax reductions to the rich! And now this. This is the last straw! I will not drink Miller Light!

[mrs_p]

6. wow - that really suckity suck suck sucks

shit - as that's all there will be left to drink there.

[mysuzuki2]

9. to paraphrase a great american winston Churchill -

we will fight them in the brew pubs, we will fight them in the small breweries, we will fight them in the home brew shops. We shall never surrender!

[patrice]

10. That's horrible!!

[spin]

11. The craft breweries produce far better tasting beer in my opinion. (n/t)

[Initech]

12. And the midwest has some of the best in the country.

[madrchsod]

13. dig a little deeper in the well,well,well....

if there`s one thing wisconsin will unite around is craft beer......

miller-coors piss water beer

[bergie321]

14. Which Brewery

Do the Koch brothers own?

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. this is a bone for the wholesalers and the big brewers

I'd look for the contributions there.

[slampoet]

15. See the Movie BEER WARS directed by the woman who developed Mikes Hard Lemonaid

It is a HUGE wake up call on the corrupt way we run alcohol in this country.

Not much less corrupt than bootlegging, really.

[HereSince1628]

18. Wisconsin's open for business if you are a large corporation

And look at it this way it's a campaign promise kept...that new middleman is a job that didn't exist before Walker's budget proposal.

:sarcasm: