Liquor Monopoly: Turning Citizens into Criminals

Last weekend’s Memorial Day celebration got off to a rocky start for three Pennsylvanians who were issued citations by state police. Their crime? Looking for greater selection and lower prices, they bought alcohol across the border in Delaware and brought it home.

The border patrol detail spent five hours on Friday staking out two Delaware malls, trying to catch Pennsylvanians in the act of smuggling booze across the border. It can’t have been much of a challenge; 45 percent of Philadelphians and those from surrounding counties admit to buying their booze across the border to escape high prices and the poor selection offered by state stores.

Truth is many of us living near the state’s borders are reduced to criminals for being savvy shoppers.

It’s time we stop turning booze buyers into bootleggers for trying to save a couple bucks or for finding their favorite wine that the sultans of syrah deem unfit for Pennsylvanians’ palates.