The skanner., May 30, 2012, Page 23, Image 23

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Booze
Small Business Protest
P ric in g is s till in flu x fo r m o s t d is trib u -
to rs , w h o le s a le rs a n d re ta ile rs , b e c a u s e it’s
th e firs t tim e in 7 0 y e a rs th e p riv a te p a rtie s
h a v e b e e n in th e liq u o r b u s in e s s , s a id J o e l
B e n o lie l, C o s tc o s e n io r v ic e p re s id e n t a n d
c h ie f le g a l o ffic e r.
T h e s ta te ’s c u rre n t c h a rg e fo r a 7 5 0 -m l
b o ttle o f A b s o lu t C itro n Vo d k a : $ 2 2 .9 5 .
T h a t p ric e in c lu d e s a ll fe e s a n d ta x e s .
T h e d is trib u to r ’s p ric e p e r b o ttle fo r a
c a s e o f th e s a m e p ro d u c t: $ 1 8 .2 7 . T h e n a d d
in a n in d u s try -a v e ra g e 2 0 p e rc e n t m a rk u p
f o r th e r e ta ile r
to c o v e r c o sts
and
m ake
a
p ro fit — th is
w ill v a ry b y
s to re — a n d a
1 7 p ercen t fee
re q u ire d u n d e r
th e in itia tiv e to
re c o u p lo s t re v -
enue
to
th e
s ta te , a 2 0 .5 p e r-
c e n t re ta il s a le s ta x a n d a $ 2 .8 3 lite r ta x .
P ric e p e r b o ttle : $ 3 3 .7 4 .
F o r 1 5 1 -p ro o f B a c a rd i R u m , a ls o in a
7 5 0 -m l b o ttle , th e p ric e in c re a s e s fro m
$ 2 6 .9 5 p e r b o ttle to $ 3 4 .7 3 .
T h e in itia tiv e a ls o re q u ire s d is trib u to rs to
ra is e a t le a s t $ 1 5 0 m illio n in lic e n s in g fe e s
fo r th e s ta te , o r W a s h in g to n o ffic ia ls c a n
re tro a c tiv e ly c h a rg e th e m fo r it.
T h a t p ro v is io n p u ts w h o le s a le rs in a n
u n c o m fo rta b le p o s itio n , h a v in g to p a d th e ir
p ric e s e n o u g h to c o v e r th a t
s u rc h a rg e , s a id J a n G e e , p re s -
id e n t o f th e W a s h in g to n F o o d
In d u s try A s s o c ia tio n , a tra d e
a s s o c ia tio n fo r s m a ll, in d e -
p e n d e n t a n d fa m ily -o w n e d
g ro cery
sto re s. B u t th e
w h o le s a le ta x e s a n d fe e s fa ll
a fte r th e firs t y e a r.
` ` N o n e o f th e r e ta il a n d
consum er
p ric e s
ever
re d u c e ,’’ s h e s a id . ``T h e y s ta n d th e w a y
th e y a re rig h t n o w , a n d th e y ’re h u g e .’’
S o m e s to re s a re re p o rte d ly d ra ftin g s ig n s
fo r th e ir liq u o r s h e lv e s to e x p la in th e h ig h e r
‘Sure, big-box stores will be able to
negotiate some discounts by ordering
in bulk, but the initiative included
higher fees to the state for everybody.
Prices will go up for everybody’
``C o s tc o is d e te rm in e d w e w ill b e c o m -
p e titiv e , m a y b e a little lo w e r, th a n th e s ta te
w a s ,’’ h e s a id . ``W e w a n t to b u y c h e a p ly,
d is trib u te m o re c h e a p ly, a n d ta k e a little
s h o rte r m a rg in . T h a t’s w h a t w e d o o n a ll o u r
p ric e s .’’
B u t h e a ls o n o te d th a t n o b o d y s h o u ld b e
e x p e c tin g C a lifo rn ia p ric e s , b e c a u s e W a s h -
in g to n h a s m u c h h ig h e r ta x e s a n d fe e s .
M o s t d is trib u to rs a n d re ta ile rs h a v e b e e n
w a ry o f s h a rin g th e ir n e w p ric e s in a d v a n c e
Some stores are reportedly
drafting signs for their liquor
shelves to explain the higher
prices
o f th e s w itc h F rid a y, b u t p ric e lis ts p ro v id e d
b y tw o d is trib u to rs to a n in d e p e n d e n t g ro -
c e ry s to re o ffe r a g lim p s e in to w h a t c o n -
s u m e rs c a n e x p e c t a t m a n y s to re s .
P H O T O B Y S U S A N F R IE D
c o n t in u e d f r o m p a g e 1
On May 25, members of the Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs
(CCCJ), The Black Builders Association, The Truckers Consortium, the A.
Philip Randolph Association and other community members entered the
offices of the U.S. Small Business Administration to demand equity and
fairness in contracting.
p ric e s . A n d a t le a s t 2 0 c o n tra c t liq u o r s to re s
h a v e n o tifie d th e s ta te th a t th e y w ill b e c lo s -
in g a lto g e th e r — e ith e r b e c a u s e la rg e r
s to re s lo c a te d in th e s a m e lo c a tio n e n fo rc e d
``n o c o m p e te ’’ c la u s e s in th e ir le a s e o r
b e c a u s e th e y e le c te d n o t to try to c o m p e te
w ith b ig -b o x s to re s .
B e n o lie l o f C o s tc o s a id h e u n d e rs ta n d
s o m e re ta ile rs m a y n o t h a v e th e s a m e c o n -
c lu s io n th a t p ric e s w ill g o d o w n , b u t o v e r
tim e , h e s a id c o n s u m e rs w ill b e n e fit fro m
th e c h a n g e s .
``W e b e lie v e , in a c o m p e titiv e m a rk e t-
p la c e , th e c o n s u m e r w in s ,’’ h e s a id .
A fte r 3 7 y e a rs in b u s in e s s , K e n n e tt s o ld
th e rig h ts to h e r c o n tra c t s to re to s o m e o n e
e ls e in N a c h e s w h e n th e g ro c e ry s to re th a t
o w n s h e r b u ild in g — a n d o b ta in e d a re ta il
liq u o r lic e n s e a fte r th e in itia tiv e p a s s e d —
e n fo rc e d a n o -c o m p e te c la u s e . A s te a d y
s tre a m o f c u s to m e rs e m p tie d h e r s h e lv e s in
th e fin a l d a y s le a d in g u p to th e s to re ’s c lo -
s u re o n S a tu rd a y.
M e a n w h ile , th e W a sh in g to n S u p re m e
C o u rt h a s y e t to ru le o v e r th e c o n s titu tio n a l-
ity o f th e m e a s u re , a fte r o p p o n e n ts file d s u it
to o v e rtu rn it. A t is s u e is w h e th e r th e in itia -
tiv e v io la te s s ta te ru le s re q u irin g m e a s u re s
to a d d re s s o n ly o n e s u b je c t, b e c a u s e it
in c lu d e s a p ro v is io n to s e t a s id e $ 1 0 m illio n
fo r p u b lic s a fe ty.
Death
c o n t in u e d f r o m p a g e 1
w o m a n w h o re c e n tly m o v e d to S e a ttle fro m
A lb u q u e rq u e , N .M ., to p u rs u e h e r d re a m o f
b e c o m in g a c h e f d ie d o f in ju rie s s u ffe re d in
a n a p p a re n tly ra n d o m d riv e -b y s h o o tin g
n e a r d o w n to w n . N o a rre s ts h a v e b e e n m a d e .
© 2 0 1 2 T h e A s s o c ia te d P re s s . A ll rig h ts
Police said they were looking for a man in his
20s who fled on foot
re s e rv e d . T h is m a te ria l m a y n o t b e p u b -
lis h e d , b ro a d c a s t, re w ritte n o r re d is trib u te d .
L e a rn m o re a b o u t o u r P riv a c y P o lic y a n d
Te rm s o f U s e .
Fat
c o n t in u e d f r o m p a g e 1
h o o d s o f b e tte r o r w o rs e h e a lth . S in c e K in g
C o u n ty is o n e o f th e h e a lth ie s t c o u n tie s in
th e s ta te , p ro b le m s lik e o b e s ity c o u ld b e
o v e r lo o k e d w ith o u t m o r e s p e c if ic d a ta ,
D re w n o w s k i s a id .
``H u g e s o c ia l d is p a ritie s h a v e b e e n b u rie d
b y lo o k in g a t d a ta a t a v e ry c ru d e le v e l,’’ h e
s a id .
P ro p e rty v a lu e s a re a s h o rt h a n d fo r a ll
k in d s o f th in g s , h e a d d e d . C o m m u te tim e s ,
p ro x im ity to p a rk s a n d o th e r s a fe p la c e s to
e x e rc is e , a n d a c c e s s to h e a lth y fo o d s m a y
a ll b e re la te d to p ro p e rty v a lu e s , d e p e n d in g
o n w h e re y o u liv e .
H e e x p e c ts fu tu re s tu d ie s o f o th e r c itie s o r
c o u n tie s to fin d a sim ila r c o rre la tio n
b e tw e e n p ro p e rty v a lu e s a n d o b e s ity.
O f c o u rs e , ju s t m o v in g p e o p le in to ric h e r
n e ig h b o rh o o d s w o n ’t fix th e ir h e a lth p ro b -
le m s , h e is q u ic k to p o in t o u t.
T h e re s e a rc h e rs e x p e c te d to fin d a d iffe r-
e n c e b e tw e e n th e im p a c t o n w o m e n a n d
m e n , s in c e o th e r s tu d ie s h a v e fo u n d th a t
m e n ’s h e a lth is n o t a s c lo s e ly tie d to e c o -
n o m ic s , b u t th e d iffe re n c e s fo u n d in th is
research
w ere
m o re
d ra m a tic
th a n
D re w n o w s k i e x p e c te d .
F o r e a c h $ 2 3 8 ,0 0 0 d ro p in p ro p e rty v a l-
u e s , o b e s ity ra te s w e n t u p 8 0 p e rc e n t a m o n g
w o m e n , a n d th e d iffe re n c e s in o b e s ity ra te s
w e re a s g ra d u a l a s th e v a lu e s, th e
re s e a rc h e rs fo u n d .
T h o s e g e n d e r d iffe re n c e s c a ll fo r c o n fir-
w o m e n in lo w e r p ro p e rty v a lu e s o r m o re
le a n w o m e n in h ig h e r p ro p e rty v a lu e s , o r
b o th . If o b e s ity is m o re e v e n ly d is trib u te d
a m o n g m e n , th e d iffe re n c e c o u ld b e g re a t a t
b o th e n d s o f th e s p e c tru m .
``If th is is c o n firm e d , m a y b e w o m e n a re
m o r e in f lu e n c e d b y th e h o m e e n v ir o n -
For each $238,000 drop in property values,
obesity rates went up 80 percent among
women
m a tio n b y o th e r re s e a rc h a n d s o m e c la rifi-
c a tio n , s a id D r. D a riu s h M o z a ffa ria n , a n
a s s o c ia te p ro fe s s o r in th e D e p a rtm e n t o f
E p id e m io lo g y a t th e H a rv a rd S c h o o l o f
P u b lic H e a lth , w h o w a s n o t in v o lv e d in th is
re s e a rc h .
M o z a ff a r ia n s a id D r e w n o w s k i’s s tu d y
m a d e h im w o n d e r if th e re a re m o re o b e s e
m e n t,’’ M o z a ffa ria n s a id , a d d in g th a t h e
c o u ld n ’t b e s u re u n le s s m o re re s e a rc h w a s
c o m p le te d .
H e ’d a ls o lik e to k n o w w h a t p a rt p ro p e rty
v a lu e s p la y in th e o b e s ity e q u a tio n . Is it ju s t
th a t n ic e r h o m e s a re u s u a lly in m o re w a lk a -
b le n e ig h b o rh o o d s a n d c lo s e r to g ro c e ry
s to re s ? O r is s o m e th in g e ls e g o in g o n ?
D re w n o w s k i h a s s o m e th e o rie s o f h is
o w n . H e b e lie v e s o b e s ity in w o m e n is
c lo s e ly c o n n e c te d to fin a n c ia l in s e c u rity.
S in c e p ro p e rty v a lu e s s e p a ra te th e e c o n o m -
ic a lly s e c u re fro m th o s e w h o w o rry a b o u t
w h e re th e ir n e x t m e a l is c o m in g fro m , a s
w e ll a s d e te rm in in g if th e y a re s a fe fro m
c r im e , th e d iff e r e n c e s b e tw e e n w o m e n
c o u ld b e re la te d to s tre s s .
P e o p le try in g to h e lp o th e rs lo s e w e ig h t
ta lk a lo t a b o u t in d iv id u a l re s p o n s ib ility a n d
w illin g n e s s to c h a n g e , b u t w h e re y o u liv e is
n o t n e c e s s a rily a c h o ic e , e s p e c ia lly n o t in
S e a ttle w h e re h o m e v a lu e s a re s o h ig h ,
D re w n o w s k i s a id .
H e a ls o b e lie v e s th a t p ro p e rty v a lu e s
m e a s u re m o re th a n in c o m e le v e ls b e c a u s e
th e y c a n s h o w s o m e th in g a b o u t a p e rs o n
o v e r a lo n g e r p e rio d o f tim e . T h e re m a y a ls o
b e a n o th e r s o c ia l e le m e n t, s in c e th a t o b e s i-
ty ra te s w e re a ffe c te d n o t ju s t b y a n in d iv id -
u a l h o m e v a lu e b u t b y a ll th e h o m e s w ith in
th e e q u iv a le n t o f a 1 0 -m in u te w a lk .
M ay 30, 2012
The Seattle Skanner
P age 3