Booze In The Ontario Election

[Kel Varnsen]

I wouldn't need or expect every corner store to sell decent beer. Every podunk US town has a good beer store. I don't need 10, I need 1.

Wilkes Barre PA Pop 45000 1000 different beers
http://www.georgetowndeli.com/beer-by-brewery

Bethlehem PA Pop 75000
http://abescoldbeer.com/beer.html

we all have our favourites.

I get what you are saying but I think that especially in the US north east a bunch of what you are seeing has to do with the huge population density. I mean sure Bethlehem PA might be a podunk town, but it is a podunk town that (according to google maps) is less than 2 hours away from NYC or Philly. So for any products whether it be beer, or a decent restaurant or whatever, if a business in that town wants to compete, it is not just competing with other businesses in the town, it also has to compete with the people who are willing to make the hour and a half drive to Philly. I mean there are a lot of towns in Ontario that are just as podunk, but are a days drive from a major city, so business owners don't really have the same considerations when it comes to competition.

[Tapsucker]

Agreed. Competition is good. Since this is a political thread (otherwise I'd rather leave politics out of beer), I would simply ask which party in the upcoming election is most likely to promote free market competition (not just in beer, but for our overall economic welfare)?

I'm afraid none of them are even close. I haven't read all of the Green platform in this election, but past platforms have been more free market than any of the others.

I think the mainstream parties have had the life lobbied out of them when it comes to market regulation and subsidies/tax breaks or direct interference in the market. So rather than draw attention to this, they prefer to speak to the issue of the public service in their platforms. Here they obviously differentiate themselves based on labour philosophy and I suppose investment in the pet issues of healthcare and education.