Jul 25, 2010 By Herald Standard Staff 1 min read

Pennsylvania isn’t the only state that might be getting out of the liquor business. The Washington Post reports Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell has been meeting with alcohol retailers and wholesalers, public safety officials and faith-based groups to come up with a way to privatize the state’s liquor stores.

Although that was one of his campaign pledges, the governor is pushing the sale to have more money for Virginia’s roads and bridges.

The paper reported the governor’s staff estimates selling off the liquor stores, which add about $220 million a year to the state’s bottom line, could raise $300 million to $800 million.

The sale is far from a sure thing. There’s no political constituency for it, uncertainty of the revenue stream, costs related to getting out of the liquor business and, perhaps most important of all, inertia.

However, the combination of a slow economy and the unwillingness of lawmakers to raise taxes betters the odds.

Beaver County Times