Cokie Roberts shared her Washington insights
Of today’s political climate, she quipped “Who wouldn’t enjoy watch- ing the politics of today?” She referred to the current field of Republican pres- idential candidates as “a field in search of a star” and said that the intense par- tisanship described by many commen- tators misses the point. “The competi- tion right now is within the parties, not between the parties,” she said. Despite the fact that partisanship and polarization is currently high (though Roberts said not the highest in the history of the country), she believes the United States achieves moderation through divided government. There is one current political trend that she says is counterproductive: money in politics. “Billion dollar elec- tions are good for TV stations,” Roberts says, “but they’re not good for anyone else.”
Playing Monopoly T 28
he suppliers weighed in during a panel discussion moderated by incoming NABCA Chairman Patrick Stapleton. Bill Newlands, President North America of Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Mark Teasdale, CEO and President of Proximo Spirits and Steve Bellini, Senior vice president of Sales at Sidney Frank Importing dis- cussed the issue of control systems being monopolies and how that impacts their companies and customers.
Incoming NABCA Chairman Patrick J. Stapleton led a panel discussion about control states’ monopoly status.
Chairman Stapleton with his colleagues from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
“The monopoly issue is rooted in a time when con- trol states were less consumer-friendly,” explained Bellini. “There’s been a lot of progress, and I’d give the control states high marks on selection today.” Bellini said that pricing is a different issue, but Stapleton quickly reminded him that most pricing for- mulas are set by state statute and regulators don’t always have the flexibility they want or need.
Bringing up a theme that ran throughout the con- ference, Newlands said the tax system on spirits versus
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