What business should “The State” have in underwriting the mechanics of beer-, wine-, and liquor-making? None, actually. But it now does so with beer-making and wine-making in Pennsylvania. And there’s a push to do the same with liquor.
Here’s an example of the beer-backing program (details courtesy of the Post-Gazette):
Act 39 of 2016 established the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverage Industry Promotions Board. Packed with beer-making and -distribution officials, it makes recommendations to the state Liquor Control Board for grants for projects that increase “the production of Pennsylvania-made malt and brewed beverages and enhancing the Pennsylvania malt and brewed beverages industry.” The state Department of Agriculture administers the program.
Last week, the LCB approved 13 grants with a total value of nearly $705,000 in public money.
To wit, the Pittsburgh Brewers Guild is receiving $35,000 to create a brewery guide for Allegheny County brewers.
But why should taxpayers underwrite what clearly should be a private effort? If such a guild wants to promote its group, group members should pay the freight.
Then there’s the Hops on Lots Pittsburgh Project. It’s receiving $10,000 to develop an urban hop farm in Stanton Heights to supply Lawrenceville’s Roundabout Brewery to create “a truly local beer.”
Again, why should taxpayers underwrite what clearly should be a private effort? If a hop-grower wants to start up, it should determine if there’s a market for its product, risk its own money and hope for customers and a profit.
Then there’s another $35,000 for the Master Brewers Association of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh District for a professional development and education program for brewers.
Said one brewer (to the Tribune-Review): “A lot of breweries don’t have lab equipment, and a lot of science is involved in the brewing process. There’s a lot of finger-crossing going on.”
But since when should it be a function of “The State,” funded by public dollars, to uncross those fingers? Why can’t this association pay for its own professional development?
This nonsense goes on and on and on.
How about nearly $128,000 to a state agency for a campaign dubbed “Pennsylvania Pursue Your Hoppiness”?
Or $95,000 to the Malt Beverage Distribution Association to help it “remain an integral part of the Pennsylvania beer industry”?
Nearly $71,000 is going to Penn State to investigate how to better dehydrate fresh hops.
The public will pay $65,000 for a no-doubt slick video production – a feature-length documentary, no less – to “explore the state’s craft beer industry.”
Then there’s $60,000 for development of cell phone app – “a comprehensive, immersive mobile experience,” don’t’ you know — that will allow users “to experience the best of the commonwealth’s beer industry at the touch of their fingers.”
But wait, there’s more!
A public relations firm will receive $50,000 for a TV series promoting Keystone State brewing; a malt house will be given more than $49,000 to tout craft malt production; nearly $40,000 will go to expand “a brewery review website”; and more than $7,000 is going to Montgomery County for “two match-making” events this year “to connect interested farmers with local brewers in order to strengthen” the country’s “role in the local brewing economy.”
What, these farmers and brewers don’t have phones?
Again, Pennsylvania taxpayers have absolutely no business underwriting what by all accounts should be paid for by a private industry seeking to expand its market and profits.
The Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Program made its own grant awards of nearly $1 million last May. More grants are expected this year.
There’s also a pending bill in the General Assembly to create a Pennsylvania Distillers Promotion Board to make even more grants.
Two questions must be asked for which there are easy answers to each:
What should a government do?
Not this.
What is a government for?
Not this.
Sound public policy demands far better.
Colin McNickle is a senior fellow and media specialist at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
