“It is irresponsible for the D.C. City Council to treat the District’s licensed beverage retailers and their customers as a fast fix for their own budget shortcomings,” said ABL Executive Director John Bodnovich.  “A vibrant hospitality culture is part of what makes Washington a destination, and this proposal would be a setback for the entire city.”

Under the proposed increase, excise taxes would cause the price of the typical bottle of spirits to increase by 12.5%, wine by 9.7% and beer by 8.5%.  Additional increases in these taxes would translate to lost business for hardworking retailers in the city’s bars, restaurants, and liquor stores, and lost income for the city.  The District already increased sales tax on alcohol last year to 10%.

“This plan effectively targets some of the city’s oldest, most upstanding and well-respected businesses,” said Michael Fonseca, speaking on behalf of the Washington D.C. Retail Liquor Dealers whose members include Calvert Woodley, Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, MacArthur Beverages and Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits among several other volume sellers.  “This is a misguided tax increase that threatens neighborhood businesses that already contribute their fair share in taxes for District services and provide hundreds of jobs to the Washington, D.C., community.  If passed this tax increase will render D.C. retailers at a disadvantage to Maryland and Virginia beverage prices.”

Though its proponents tout the proposal as a mere “six cents per drink,” the reality is the increase is much more significant for District retailers who are projected to lose over $50 million in sales.  And with most alcohol tax hikes, this regressive tax would be made all the more so, affecting lower income far more than the wealthy.  It also takes square aim at locally-owned and operated businesses and their customers.

“Adding undue financial burden onto small businesses, especially neighborhood ones, is not going to solve the city’s budget crisis,” said Colin McDonough, co-owner of the Boundary Stone Public House in Washington’s Bloomingdale neighborhood.  “The city has raised the sales tax on alcohol, thus increasing the cost to the consumer, and now proposes another increased cost to the purveyor, who will either bear the burden or pass it onto the consumer.  Creating more revenue on the backs of a strong hospitality industry is a misguided attempt to solve problems of mismanagement.  This could be the final straw for neighborhood businesses in a city that touts itself as small business friendly in one breath, and then turns back around with their hand out.”

“This is an open affront to small business jobs – it threatens bartenders, servers, and salespeople at the local liquor store,” said Bodnovich.  “D.C. area residents, who frequent Washington’s bars, restaurants and liquor stores, shouldn’t be forced to pay a penalty for supporting District businesses.”

Click here to download this as a PDF

Click here to visit the D.C. Council website

Even before George Washington bid his Revolutionary War troops farewell at Fraunces Tavern, Americans have celebrated their lives with their friends and neighbors at their local tavern.   Representing the best ofAmerica’s community spirit, the locally-owned tavern is at the core ofAmerica’s character.

Many owners of these businesses have worked for years, even decades, to build a home away from home.  They remain some of the last locally-owned businesses in their communities’ downtown area, and their owners quietly work hard to give back, providing millions of jobs, entertaining tens of millions of patrons each year, and giving to thousands of charities throughout the country.

“Americahas celebrated its rich history at the local tavern,” said ABL executive directorJohn Bodnovich.  “Now, more than ever, it’s important to recognize the role that these places play in their communities and the fact that they provide much more than just the products they sell.”

Bar and tavern owners continue to place a strong emphasis on responsible service by training employees and incorporating programs to promote responsibility.  By utilizing technology and working with enforcement and regulatory groups, licensees are doing their part to continue a tradition of responsibility.

“When constructing a solvent plan for combating alcohol misuse issues, there is no one better to consult than a beverage licensee,” said Bodnovich.  “Working day in and day out to responsibly serve their customers and communities, they understand the accountability that comes with their businesses and they take it very seriously.

America’s retailers of alcohol sales are in many ways the face of the beverage alcohol industry to the consumer.  Staunch supporters of the Three-Tier System, ABL and its members continue to oppose any threats to the stability of the alcohol industry.

What makes local bars and taverns special is the unique nature of the places themselves.  They are a reflection of their community, their customers, and the fiercely independent proprietors who reflect themselves in their business.  Be it the corner pub, a trendy lounge, or a family-owned and operated tavern, you won’t find any two the same.

“In the face of homogeneity and uniformity in parts ofAmerica’s eating and drinking culture,America’s independent bars and taverns remind us of the individuality and uniqueness of our cultural history in hospitality,” said Bodnovich.

“This May, we’re raising a glass to the more than three hundred thousand independently-owned bars and taverns in theUnited States, to the people who work hard to keep their doors open, and the millions of good jobs they provide in their communities.”

This is the 59^th consecutive year bars and taverns have celebrated Tavern Month with American Beverage Licensees, the largest national trade association dedicated to supporting and promoting beverage alcohol retail community.  ABL is joined by its state and local bar & tavern association affiliates to spread the word that May is Tavern Month…Let’s Celebrate!

Download the full news release (PDF)

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About American Beverage Licensees (ABL)

American Beverage Licensees (ABL) is the preeminent national trade association for alcohol beverage retailers.  Its members are comprised of on-premise and off-premise licensees who provide hundreds of thousands of jobs and annually infuse millions of dollars into the American economy.

• Distilled Spirits Council of the United States President and CEO, Peter Cressy
• The Charmer Sunbelt Group Chairman and CEO and WSWA Chairman, Charlie Merinoff
• Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board CEO, Joe Conti

From WSWA:

Privatization of state-controlled alcohol sales and distribution is under consideration in many “control” states across the nation.  This is an extremely important issue for the beverage alcohol industry, for consumers and for the general public.  For the first time, representatives from all sectors of the wine and spirits sectors will come together to address the issues that have arisen as a result of these discussions.

This forum will provide an opportunity for media and industry professionals to learn from industry and government representatives their views on the most effective approaches to alcohol regulation in order to ensure that – whatever type of distribution system a state chooses to employ – communities are protected and a responsible and accountable regulatory structure remains in place.

Stakeholder organizations that had worked with RRF and the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association in developing the On-Premises report remain committed to engaging licensees on issues of RR. The On-Premises report is being turned into a series of short articles that will be used by regulators, licensee associations and training organizations in newsletters and other communications. Additionally, The Charmer Sunbelt Group will distribute a 2-page summary of the report, and an earlier report for off-premises licensees, to all licensees in one or more of the ten states in which it operates, with the goal of generating a heightened awareness of RR and identifying ways in which distributors, and the producers they represent, can work with RRF to engage licensees in adopting RR practices to reduce underage and 3rd party sales and over-service.

“The On-Premises report is a helpful tool for independent bar and tavern owners who strive to be responsible purveyors of beverage alcohol,” said John Bodnovich of American Beverage Licensees, a national trade association that collaborated on the On-Premises report, “and our tens of thousands of members will certainly benefit from this great effort in collaboration.”

Participants at the RRF national meeting include regulators, attorneys general and public health / prevention stakeholders, and producers, distributors, and retail chains and associations. The meeting is hosted by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

On Day one of the 10th annual Responsible Retailing Forum, an examination of staff performance in preventing underage sales and alcohol over-service was presented.

Researchers from Brandeis University present an analysis of over 1 million “Mystery Shops” in which young, legal-age inspectors sought to purchase alcohol or tobacco to provide retailers with feedback on actual staff conduct. Brandeis Professor Stephen Fournier explains that retailers that receive periodic Mystery Shop feedback now ask for proof of age well over 90% of the time. “This success of licensees in Responsible Retailing programs that use Mystery Shop feedback means that regulators and law enforcement agencies could focus their scarce resources in other needed areas,” according to Brandeis Professor Jeffrey Prottas. Unclear, however, is why Mystery Shop pass rates for alcohol are significantly higher than for tobacco, within the same chains.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission and the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control presented their examination of over-service in Portland, OR and Bethesda, MD. Both agencies will be working with RRF to develop use of “pseudo-intoxicated Mystery Shoppers” to provide serving establishments with feedback on staff performance, similar to the mystery shops that have improved ID checking for off-premises retailers. “It is important that state alcohol regulators and local commissions have tools to measure the prevalence of over-service, increase the skills of employees and ultimately strengthen responsible beverage service of alcohol,” says Steve Schmidt, senior vice president public policy/communications, National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA).

Via Responsible Retailing Forum:
Contact: Brad Krevor, RRForum President, 617 549-9471 krevor@rrforum.org

Click here to visit the ABL Convention web page

“New York wineries make great wines that can compete with any in the world, but too many New Yorkers look elsewhere when shopping or ordering wine,” said Jeff Saunders, Coalition founder and President of the Retailers Alliance.  “We will continue to do all we can to tell the story of New York wines in our stores, even if that means one customer at a time. At the same time, we remain optimistic that Governor Cuomo and our State Legislature will get behind the effort to promote New York wines with a more broad-based campaign.”

Throughout Spring, retailers across the state will participate in the campaign Spring Break New York Style. They will host in-store tastings with NY wineries, run specials on New York vintages, tout NY wines in their advertisements and include local wines on their list of seasonal selections.

“I think it is fantastic to see the New York wineries and vineyards partnering with the retail stores to promote New York wine,” said Susan Hearn, owner of SUHRU Wines in Mattituck.   “Working together will make the impact of all of our efforts that much stronger and will lift the entire industry.”

Retailers across the state participating in the promotions also will display festive, full-color posters in their shops to remind consumers of the high quality of New York wines, and where possible will rearrange their shelves to prominently display New York wines in a way shoppers can not miss.

“Whether it’s a Finger Lakes Riesling, a Hudson Valley red or Long Island white, there’s something for everyone in New York’s vineyards,” said Stefan Kalogridis, Coalition leader and President of the New York State Liquor Store Association.  “Enjoy a New York vintage at your first barbecue of the season – it’s a great way to relax.”

Michael Correra, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Package Store Association and a Coalition leader, said, “Working together with wineries, we can help promote NY wines and increase consumer demand among New Yorkers. That’s good for our stores, for the wineries and for the State. We urge the State to get behind a full-blown promotion campaign because that will create jobs and revenues for the state in these tough times.”

“It’s always great news when New York wineries and vineyards partner with the retail stores to promote New York wine,” said Bob Pellegrini, owner of Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue.   “Our entire industry benefits when we pool our efforts to educate consumers about the great wines we make here in New York State.”

New York ranks third in wine production, behind California and Washington, and second in wine consumption; however, Empire State wines are often overlooked when New Yorkers select a vintage.  The Last Store on Main Street is determined to help the New York wine industry grow by educating and introducing consumers to local wines.

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Both awards are dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of leading figures in the beverage alcohol industry and will be presented at WSWA’s 69^th Annual Convention & Exposition to be held April 2 -5 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The Sidney Frank Award will be presented by Charlie Merinoff, WSWA incoming Chairman, during the Opening General Session on April 3^rd. The Lifetime Leadership Award will be presented at the General Business Session by Craig Wolf, WSWA President and CEO, on April 5^th.

“WSWA is pleased and honored to recognize Vern with the prestigious Lifetime Leadership Award for his sustained contributions to the industry,” stated Craig Wolf, president and CEO of WSWA. The award is given annually to the wholesaler whose contribution to WSWA and the alcohol beverage industry defines excellence, inspires loyalty and exemplifies leadership.

Young’s Market Company was founded in 1888 and is one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the United States.  In the 68 years since the company decided to engage exclusively in the sale and distribution of wine and spirits, it has grown from a relatively small local distributor servicing Southern California to the fourth largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States. Young’s currently has operations in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming.

“Vern’s distinctive insights and leadership set him apart,” stated Wolf, “and his achievements reflect his ability to respect the past, understand the present and look over the horizon.”

The WSWA Educational Foundation selected Mark Brown for its celebrated Sidney Frank Award. The award, an iconic bust of Mr. Sidney Frank sporting his famous bow tie, will be presented by WSWA’s incoming Chairman, Charlie Merinoff, chairman of the Charmer Sunbelt Group.

“Mark’s professionalism, vision and dedication have become an industry benchmark and continue to raise the bar for standards of excellence,” Wolf said. “He is often referred to as the “champion of the 21^st Amendment for his strong support of the three-tier system, and he understands the need for an industry that never wavers from its commitment to be socially responsible corporate citizens,” Wolf added.

The Sidney Frank Award is presented by the WSWA Educational Foundation to a person within the wine and spirits industry who has achieved noteworthy public policy or philanthropic accomplishments, as well as made exceptional contributions to the beverage alcohol industry.  A $10,000 contribution is given in the name of the award winner to the charitable cause of his or her choosing.

Brown got his start in the beverage alcohol business at a relatively young age when he began working in his family’s pub business in the United Kingdom in 1971. From 1981 to 1992, he served as Director of New Products, National Sales Manager and, eventually, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with Sazerac. He became CEO of the company in 1997.

The Sazerac Company is a privately-held, family-owned company and conducts business in all 50 states as well as 50 foreign countries. Primarily a whiskey distiller, the Sazerac Company has manufacturing operations in California, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia. The company is also owner of the highly decorated Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Brown has designated the Louisville Zoo, with specific reference to the “School at the Zoo program” for his contribution. School at the Zoo is a hands-on, minds-on approach to foster science-based learning where students use the Louisville Zoo as a “living” classroom for an entire week.  The program embraces the “no child left inside” philosophy that kids benefit greatly from being immersed in the natural world around them.  Over 1,000 students attend the program each year. Brown has served on the Zoo’s board since 1992, during which time attendance has risen from 668,000 to over 870,000.

“In their own unique ways, Vern and Mark reflect what is best about our industry – and we are all the beneficiaries of their contributions and achievements,” Wolf added.

For more information or to schedule an interview with the award recipients during the WSWA Convention, please contact Cindy Nachman-Senders at: 202-243-7510, or cindy@wswa.org.

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About WSWA

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. (WSWA) is the national trade organization representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry. It is dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of wholesale distributors and/or brokers of wine and/or spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has nearly 330 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our members distribute more than 70 percent of all wines and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States.

About the WSWA Educational Foundation

The WSWA Educational Foundation is the charitable arm of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, a national trade organization representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry. The foundation is dedicated to education: providing scholarships to the children of WSWA-member employees and sponsoring studies on issues that affect the public and the beverage-alcohol industry.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) has been revised to incorporate the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. ATM machine owners have until March 15, 2012 to sufficiently upgrade existing ATM machines to comply with the 2010 stanards.

Compliance with the new standards is mandatory. Many ATMs will need to be upgraded or replaced including these models: Triton Mako, Triton 9600 (manufactured prior to Dec. 2000), Cross/Tranax Minibank 1000, 2000, 3100, 2200, Tidel IS100 and 2000.

Not sure if you need to upgrade? Call us today at 800-929-0228 and we can assist you in your questions. Our staff are trained in these new requirements. Upgrade kits and trade-in allowances are available.

2010 Standards revisions effect the following:

Speech Output

Machines shall be speech enabled. Operating instructions and orientation, visible transaction prompts, user input verification, error messages, and all displayed information for full use shall be accessible to and independently usable by individuals with vision impairments. Speech shall be delivered through a mechanism that is readily available to all users, including but not limited to, an industry standard connector or a telephone handset. Speech shall be recorded or digitized human, or synthesized. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 707.5)

Numeric keypads

Numeric Keys. Numeric keys shall be arranged in a 12-key ascending or descending telephone keypad layout. The number five key shall be tactilely distinct from the other keys. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 707.6.2)

Tactile Symbols. Function key surfaces shall have tactile symbols as follows: Enter or Proceed key: raised circle; Clear or Correct key: raised left arrow; Cancel key: raised letter ex; Add Value key: raised plus sign; Decrease Value key: raised minus sign. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 707.6.3.2)

Display

Visibility. The display screen shall be visible from a point located 40 inches (1015 mm) above the center of the clear floor space in front of the machine. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 707.7.1)

Characters. Characters displayed on the screen shall be in a sans serif font. Characters shall be 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) high minimum based on the uppercase letter “I”. Characters shall contrast with their background with either light characters on a dark background or dark characters on a light background. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 707.7.2)

Floor space, height and reach

The clear floor or ground space shall be 30 inches (760 mm) minimum by 48 inches (1220 mm) minimum. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 305.3)

Where a forward reach is unobstructed, the high forward reach shall be 48 inches (1220 mm) maximum and the low forward reach shall be 15 inches (380 mm) minimum above the finish floor or ground. (2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design – 308.2.1)

To see the full 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design by the Department of Justice click here or visit the Department of Justice’s ADA web site here for more information on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1900

Federal legislation that calls for sanctions on states that do not adopt mandatory ignition interlock laws for all offenders fails to take into account what many states have recognized: The simple passage of laws to reduce drunk driving-caused deaths and injuries cannot work without proper implementation and monitoring. Even in the states where mandatory interlock laws have been passed, compliance rates are very low, and the monitoring of offenders is scarce. Compliance and enforcement remain critical components when dealing with hardcore and repeat drunk drivers and ensuring that technology is installed and used.

“Beverage retailers understand that successfully confronting drunk driving remains a challenge for those of us who are working to see its demise,” said ABL Executive Director John Bodnovich. “But cookie-cutter federal mandates ignore the proper role of the criminal justice system and fail to incorporate a comprehensive approach tailored to each offender based on their needs and dependency.”

Preventing judges and courts from using discretion in how they adjudicate drunk driving cases would weaken efforts to monitor hardcore drunk drivers and other high-risk offenders. This is to say nothing of the conservatively-estimated $400 million that this unfunded mandate would cost states and local governments, according to the American Probation and Parole Association. It also disregards ongoing efforts by states to vigorously enforce existing laws and the results those efforts are yielding.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010 Americans travelled approximately 46 billion more miles by car than they did in 2009, but roadway fatalities fell to their lowest-recorded numbers since 1949. Highway fatalities that involved drunk drivers fell 4.9 percent in 2010.

“While the drop in fatalities last year and over the past several decades is welcome news, we know there is more work to be done,” said Bodnovich. “That’s why beverage retailers will continue to support the efforts of state legislatures and the judicial system to better protect their communities from drunk driving through graduated sentencing, including required ignition interlocks for hardcore and repeat offenders, and other permanent approaches that address recidivism.”

Long-term solutions to drunk driving cannot rely on technology alone, and federal policy that does not address recidivism or distinguish between the dependencies of individual offenders is not the long-term solution that the country deserves.

The FBETC is a grassroots coalition of over 50 national family-owned business organizations dedicated to the full, permanent repeal of the estate tax. For many family-owned businesses to keep operating after the death of the owner, they must plan for the estate tax. Planning costs associated with the estate tax are a drain on business resources, taking money away from day to day operations and business investment.

Under current federal law, property transferred at death is taxed when the value of the property exceeds the estate tax exemption. In 2010, the FBETC supported the estate tax provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010 that the President signed into law. The current law provides an exemption of $5 million with a top tax rate of 35 percent per spouse, indexed for inflation, for 2011 and 2012.

Should Congress fail to act this year, the top estate tax rate will increase to 55 percent with a $1 million exemption per married couple.

Because permanent repeal of the estate tax may not be achievable in this Congress, the FBETC supports permanently extending current law with a 35 percent top tax rate and $5 million exemption. Such an extension will bring the certainty that businesses need to plan for the future.

For more information about the FBETC, please visit www.estatetaxrelief.org.