Package store owners in Connecticut are forced to deal with monopolies when it comes to purchasing from beer wholesalers! You can only buy Anheuser-Busch products from your designated distributor, even though other A/B distributors deliver non A/B products in our area! This leads to poor customer service and deliveries, because we are held hostage to this system (restraint of trade?) we have no recourse to get problems solved! Most consumers will take their business elsewhere when service suffers, package store owners do not have this freedom of choice. This closed system also lends itself to higher prices with no competition. Ever notice how all the big brewers sell at the same pricing, Bud, Bud light, Coors, Miller ect...
Yes, I know, it's not all about me! It is about service! I cannot give my customers the level of service they deserve if I can't get product in a reasonable time. The distributor says" all orders received before 6 p.m. will be shipped the following day". So how come when I order on Friday A.M., and they are doing Saturday deliveries, I don't get my order until Tuesday (4 days after ordering)?
See, they got me started… while we are on the topic of beer…. Why is there no min bottle pricing as there is on wine and spirits? There may not be a lot of profit on some min bottle prices, but, it stops stores from selling items at cost, as a loss leader, to get people in the store. Beer is often sold at cost in the supermarkets to draw people in, again, this system only benefits the distributors!
And….
Distributors also charge a deposit on cardboard boxes! Yes! We pay $.06 deposit on any cardboard container that carries bottles (why not cans? Who Knows?) We have to break down and store cardboard boxes until we have enough to return. What do they do with all that money for boxes that don’t get returned?
Sorry,
Thanks for listening….
Now back to our regularly scheduled program….
Just another day in paradise
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
CL&P
CL&P does not deserve all of the bad press they are getting. They made a best guess estimate of when the power would be restored based on information (present at the time) and past experiences. We have never had a storm do this much damage before and no one had experienced this this much tree damage. CL&P worked non stop to get power back and on their own self imposed deadline. Did they make it? No. But who has not started a project(much less grand in scope) with an optimistic view and run into unplanned setbacks? Should we berate and harass them for being to optimistic in their goals? No. We should expect CL&P and our state government to be better prepared in the future? Yes. Our official deserve some of the blame too.
If we are going to hold a person to their exact promise and deadline(When they do not have absolute control over events) We need to apply the same standards and penalties to our politicians!How many have made campaign promises and not even come close to meeting them? CL&P said Sunday midnight and only missed by a couple of days, not bad all things considered. Can we say the same thing about any of elected officials? The media needs to be more even and fair in their reporting and not just trying to sensationalize certain events.
All of the people and politicians calling for the head of CL&P to step down and want to fine CL&P should take a look at their own promises and performance and apply the same standards they want to hold CL&P to.
No I don't work for CL&P.. and I just got power back at 3:30 A.M. 11/8/2011
Just an other day in paradise
If we are going to hold a person to their exact promise and deadline(When they do not have absolute control over events) We need to apply the same standards and penalties to our politicians!How many have made campaign promises and not even come close to meeting them? CL&P said Sunday midnight and only missed by a couple of days, not bad all things considered. Can we say the same thing about any of elected officials? The media needs to be more even and fair in their reporting and not just trying to sensationalize certain events.
All of the people and politicians calling for the head of CL&P to step down and want to fine CL&P should take a look at their own promises and performance and apply the same standards they want to hold CL&P to.
No I don't work for CL&P.. and I just got power back at 3:30 A.M. 11/8/2011
Just an other day in paradise
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
open letter to our government reps
Mr /Mrs.
Now is the time to stand up make the tough choices. Our Country is bad shape and needs help before we sink any lower. Most households have had to cut spending and live with a much tighter budget than just a few years ago,with gas at an all time high, state taxes increasing and jobs disappearing. Our Federal government must cut spending and not raise taxes! No one like to make "unpopular choices" but now is not the time to play follow the leader. Cuts need to happen now to get this great country back on the right track! We need leaders that know how to run a business( after all government is the largest employer) and make the cuts and stay within budget. If a business just spent money on every employee's want list they would not last long.
I urge you to back spending cuts and no taxes.
Thank you,
business owner and voter
Now is the time to stand up make the tough choices. Our Country is bad shape and needs help before we sink any lower. Most households have had to cut spending and live with a much tighter budget than just a few years ago,with gas at an all time high, state taxes increasing and jobs disappearing. Our Federal government must cut spending and not raise taxes! No one like to make "unpopular choices" but now is not the time to play follow the leader. Cuts need to happen now to get this great country back on the right track! We need leaders that know how to run a business( after all government is the largest employer) and make the cuts and stay within budget. If a business just spent money on every employee's want list they would not last long.
I urge you to back spending cuts and no taxes.
Thank you,
business owner and voter
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
politicians and gas
Closing the barn door after the horse has gotten out! It is always reactive instead of proactive with our politicians. They can see where we are headed but never do anything until it hits the fan. With all that is going on in the world who did not see higher gas price coming? They will rant and call for "investigations" but nothing of value will happen. Sure prices will drop back down, not where they were, but down enough the outcry will subside, until next time when we start this all over again! Hope you enjoy the merry go round. They all say we should be more energy efficient and drive electric cars, but wait, gas taxes pay for roads and up keep, not buying gas? well now they will have to find an other way to tax you so they can make up lost revenue. So buy your hybrid and enjoy the gas savings, it will not last.
Just another day in paradise!
Just another day in paradise!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
How to pass government bills/laws
When something is good/right you generally know it right away, If you have to be harassed, bullied or bribed to believe in it, and you give in, what does that say about you and the item? Little kids learn at an early age that if the cry or whine long/loud enough some parents give in and set a president that they will regret later, and the kids learn that this approach works. This attitude that crying and whine will get you what you want carries over into adulthood, and look where we are now! Most of these people have ended up in government.
When a bill or any proposition comes to a vote and does not pass it is slightly massaged and put back up continuously until it passes. No MEANS No! If it can't pass because it makes no sense why are they allowed to keep bringing it back and bulling/bribing people to support it? Items that don,t make it on their own the first time we should have some recourse if it keeps coming back until it passes.
What if, when one of these reoccurring bills pass it is with the condition that if it does not meet all it goals as stated in a year it is automatically repealed? How much money is spent passing things that don't work? If you bought an item that did not work as advertised you would return it and expect a refund! You would not let a lot of double talk and " just give it time" stop you.
It is time to hold our represenitives responsable, they are suppose to do what we want and what is best for us, not what is best for thier "pet" project or "what they think we need". Things the effect us should be pu out for a general vote because some of our representives have made a career out this and feel entitled to do as they see fit.
They only way to change this is vote! Spend some time and take a real look at canidates and do not vote for some one just because thier name sounds familiar or your friend likes them, remeber this person has infulence on your future. Tell your represenative to stand thier ground and pass things that stand on thier own merit and not be bullied or bought!
just another day in paradise
When a bill or any proposition comes to a vote and does not pass it is slightly massaged and put back up continuously until it passes. No MEANS No! If it can't pass because it makes no sense why are they allowed to keep bringing it back and bulling/bribing people to support it? Items that don,t make it on their own the first time we should have some recourse if it keeps coming back until it passes.
What if, when one of these reoccurring bills pass it is with the condition that if it does not meet all it goals as stated in a year it is automatically repealed? How much money is spent passing things that don't work? If you bought an item that did not work as advertised you would return it and expect a refund! You would not let a lot of double talk and " just give it time" stop you.
It is time to hold our represenitives responsable, they are suppose to do what we want and what is best for us, not what is best for thier "pet" project or "what they think we need". Things the effect us should be pu out for a general vote because some of our representives have made a career out this and feel entitled to do as they see fit.
They only way to change this is vote! Spend some time and take a real look at canidates and do not vote for some one just because thier name sounds familiar or your friend likes them, remeber this person has infulence on your future. Tell your represenative to stand thier ground and pass things that stand on thier own merit and not be bullied or bought!
just another day in paradise
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
magazine myth
This is just another feel good measure that has no basis in reality. (http://www.ctnow.com/news/ctn-gun-law-debate-0202,0,5311698.htmlpage ) Limiting the amount of rounds in a magazine is not the solution. We have the laws in place to deal with killers and to discourage people from becoming killers but we don't enforce them rigorously enough or swiftly enough. (years spent waiting for trial, more in appeals, never mind the expenese, when there is no question to guilt. i.e. Chesire home invasion.)
Part of the problem is people are confused about guns. The media and even some police don't corectly describe what they are talking about. The general public that buy guns, buy semi automatic, which means that only one bullet is fired with each squeeze of the trigger. Automatic means that multiple rounds are fired with each squeeze of the the trigger,and to own a fully automatic you must be fully investigated by the federal government and are subject to complance inspections on use and storage at any time with no warning.
People that report on guns or are interviewed should at least correctly describe the weapon they are talking about, the Hartford CT police chief in this report kept refering to automatic weapons and ammo, not semi automatic which just make people more nervous and distortes the truth.
If smaller is better/safer maybe we should mandate that cars have a 5 gallon fuel tank. That way if they have to fill up more often maybe they would not drive as much, thus saving gas,cutting down on emission and making our roads safer!
just another day in paradise
Part of the problem is people are confused about guns. The media and even some police don't corectly describe what they are talking about. The general public that buy guns, buy semi automatic, which means that only one bullet is fired with each squeeze of the trigger. Automatic means that multiple rounds are fired with each squeeze of the the trigger,and to own a fully automatic you must be fully investigated by the federal government and are subject to complance inspections on use and storage at any time with no warning.
People that report on guns or are interviewed should at least correctly describe the weapon they are talking about, the Hartford CT police chief in this report kept refering to automatic weapons and ammo, not semi automatic which just make people more nervous and distortes the truth.
If smaller is better/safer maybe we should mandate that cars have a 5 gallon fuel tank. That way if they have to fill up more often maybe they would not drive as much, thus saving gas,cutting down on emission and making our roads safer!
just another day in paradise
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Most of us have had to re evaluate our budgets and cut out certain items. Most of us are making due with the same level of income, as food, gas, and taxes keep increasing which translate to less spendable income. The state and gov.Dan Malloy ( notice how in the campaign he was just good old Dan, as soon as he took office it became Dannel, reaction to more power and bigger ego?) must cut spending not just push more cost on to the people. When the casinos opened we all had hopes that all those millions would help keep the sate in good shape, but instead of saving that money the state just found new ways to spend. More taxes will just drive business and people away. Mass. just eliminated sales tax on liquor because they said people were going to CT because we have a lower tax. so now that they have no sales tax on liquor sales and we do, and possibly we are going to raise the tax why wouldn't people go to Mass. for liquor, no sales tax and much lower prices! CT stores open on Sunday will not make up budget short falls. Higher cost of living and taxes will mean less disposable income, which will result in lower sales of non essential items.
Just another day in paradise
Just another day in paradise
Friday, January 28, 2011
scare tactics
monster storm! bitter temperatures! do as we say not as we do!
news(?) programs need to step back and take a look at themselves. watch/listen to any of our local news outlets and they would have you believe the end is near no matter what the weather. monster storm? please.... this is new england... yes it is a lot of snow.. but the way they present it has people scared..really when was the last time we got so much snow that we could not get out with in a day? the governor closes the roads to trucks and ask everybody to stay off the roads until they get cleared but there are the news people out and about showing us just how bad things are and telling us to stay put while they are out.
why do they always build up the weather like we never had any before? " bitter cold ....or brutal heat" who are they tiring to convince us or themselves. why can't they just give us the facts and move on?
don't you wish when it was time for them to "tell" us the weather, they would just do it? they give us what we already know (what the weather was today) and then say we will come back with the forecast later on. please... we don't need a recap of what we went through (though they generally get that right) we want to know about tomorrow!
no matter what they forecast i know that tomorrow it will be......
just another day in paradise
news(?) programs need to step back and take a look at themselves. watch/listen to any of our local news outlets and they would have you believe the end is near no matter what the weather. monster storm? please.... this is new england... yes it is a lot of snow.. but the way they present it has people scared..really when was the last time we got so much snow that we could not get out with in a day? the governor closes the roads to trucks and ask everybody to stay off the roads until they get cleared but there are the news people out and about showing us just how bad things are and telling us to stay put while they are out.
why do they always build up the weather like we never had any before? " bitter cold ....or brutal heat" who are they tiring to convince us or themselves. why can't they just give us the facts and move on?
don't you wish when it was time for them to "tell" us the weather, they would just do it? they give us what we already know (what the weather was today) and then say we will come back with the forecast later on. please... we don't need a recap of what we went through (though they generally get that right) we want to know about tomorrow!
no matter what they forecast i know that tomorrow it will be......
just another day in paradise
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
state of us
as the old song goes " i just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in". we all have heard/read/been told what was said at the state of the union speech, but do you really believe any major changes are on the way? i am not going to analyze the speech I'll leave that to more qualified people, i just want to think out loud about a few things.
do you see us spending our way out of debit? have you tried it? how's that working out for you?
we all know what needs to be done, if you can't afford some thing don't buy it..deferring payment still means you have to pay for it some time. a very smart person said " a penny saved is a penny earned" (remember who?) . towns,states and the federal government have got to stop looking for more ways to spend our money( yes it is ours,wouldn't you rather have it to spend). it needs to start with the small things and keep going, does the first lady need 15-20 people on her personal staff? most in the past have had 1-2. did she employ that many people/friends before she got the new address? did they take that many vacations? or are they just spending our money because they can?....ok ok moving on....
deep breath.... ok closer to home....remember before we had casino in the state?..we had a balanced budget..now we get millions from them and where are we? 3billion(?) short. .....say what?
the state saw all this money coming in and could not stand to see it saved and earn interest ... yes there was such a thing as earning interest...they just found more and more ways to spend on thing that we really did not need but our legislature caved to special interest groups for feel good things (what exactly? your on the Internet look it up yourself ..get involved) instead of necessary things and programs, or just saved it. it would be like like you winning the lottery and using all the money on frivolous items and then saying gee i did not save anything for the future so everybody needs to support me now.
state of us? we need to stop sipping the kool aid and believing everything we are told. start doing your own research and make your opinion known. they work for us. being a senator or a representative was never meant to be a life long career.. we need term limits
state of us.... i am not sure about you.. but for me..
just another day in paradise
do you see us spending our way out of debit? have you tried it? how's that working out for you?
we all know what needs to be done, if you can't afford some thing don't buy it..deferring payment still means you have to pay for it some time. a very smart person said " a penny saved is a penny earned" (remember who?) . towns,states and the federal government have got to stop looking for more ways to spend our money( yes it is ours,wouldn't you rather have it to spend). it needs to start with the small things and keep going, does the first lady need 15-20 people on her personal staff? most in the past have had 1-2. did she employ that many people/friends before she got the new address? did they take that many vacations? or are they just spending our money because they can?....ok ok moving on....
deep breath.... ok closer to home....remember before we had casino in the state?..we had a balanced budget..now we get millions from them and where are we? 3billion(?) short. .....say what?
the state saw all this money coming in and could not stand to see it saved and earn interest ... yes there was such a thing as earning interest...they just found more and more ways to spend on thing that we really did not need but our legislature caved to special interest groups for feel good things (what exactly? your on the Internet look it up yourself ..get involved) instead of necessary things and programs, or just saved it. it would be like like you winning the lottery and using all the money on frivolous items and then saying gee i did not save anything for the future so everybody needs to support me now.
state of us? we need to stop sipping the kool aid and believing everything we are told. start doing your own research and make your opinion known. they work for us. being a senator or a representative was never meant to be a life long career.. we need term limits
state of us.... i am not sure about you.. but for me..
just another day in paradise
Thursday, January 20, 2011
what ever happened to...
what ever happened to...... or..... i remember when..... or back in the day...... How often do we here a conversation start with these words? Most people look back fondly and focus on the good things from the past, but we can't turn back time. Progress happens, and technical advances occur, this is just the way things are , we do need to keep advancing. The key is not to let these advances rule our lives. Cell phones/computers have made lots of things better or most people access to help info almost anywhere at any time, but do we need one glue to one the whole day? Do you need to be connected 24/7? really? Just because you have a cell phone/blackberry/whatever keeps you connected ,does not mean you have to use it constantly. You have things like a stove, do you use that just because it is there, or is it used only when needed? How about that pen you carry, do you walk around writing on everything? How many people complain that they are constantly bothered by having to answer their electronic leash? It is a tool that should be used only when needed(maybe you should carry that shovel around from the shed, it's feeling lonely)
i remember when...... if some one wanted to talk to you they had to call you at home or work or....horrors.....talk to you in person!
in person..... the personal touch......phases we don't use all that much anymore, soon to be lost to that black hole of "what ever happen to...." . kids now a days have lost the ability to interact with people, when was the last time you went thru a neighborhood and saw a group of kids playing outside? i remember when......
playing baseball, tag,or just running around having fun.
just some venting....back in the day..... i would be sitting around with a group of people having this conversation........
just another day in paradise
i remember when...... if some one wanted to talk to you they had to call you at home or work or....horrors.....talk to you in person!
in person..... the personal touch......phases we don't use all that much anymore, soon to be lost to that black hole of "what ever happen to...." . kids now a days have lost the ability to interact with people, when was the last time you went thru a neighborhood and saw a group of kids playing outside? i remember when......
playing baseball, tag,or just running around having fun.
just some venting....back in the day..... i would be sitting around with a group of people having this conversation........
just another day in paradise
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
planning
Well once again it is snow/sleeting here and most schools and some business are closed, so most people take the time to stay home with family and enjoy right? No way! The weather maybe bad enough that these people say " I can't go to work/school the roads are terrible" but they sure as heck don't stay home.
What is up with these people? They can't get to work but they can get on the road and go to the mall? They have to go to the supermarket? Most people could probably get by on what is in their freezer and cabinets for at least week. Not only that, don't they listen to the weather forecast,they know well in advance when the roads are going to be bad. When was the last time it snowed so hard we were trapped in our house long enough that people ran out of food? It's called planning people! Use a little common sense!
Speaking of planning, you know winter is coming(long before it gets here) why wait until the day before a snow storm to check your snow blower? When it doesn't work do you think the local repair shop is going to drop everything to get yours up and running?Forgot gas for it? or gee my car is on empty I need to go out and get gas.Is this concept of planning really that hard?
just another day in paradise
What is up with these people? They can't get to work but they can get on the road and go to the mall? They have to go to the supermarket? Most people could probably get by on what is in their freezer and cabinets for at least week. Not only that, don't they listen to the weather forecast,they know well in advance when the roads are going to be bad. When was the last time it snowed so hard we were trapped in our house long enough that people ran out of food? It's called planning people! Use a little common sense!
Speaking of planning, you know winter is coming(long before it gets here) why wait until the day before a snow storm to check your snow blower? When it doesn't work do you think the local repair shop is going to drop everything to get yours up and running?Forgot gas for it? or gee my car is on empty I need to go out and get gas.Is this concept of planning really that hard?
just another day in paradise
Monday, January 17, 2011
common courtesy
What ever happen to common courtesy? It's the small things that need to start the change in our everyday world. Now, I know, some of you remember when holding a door for someone was done with out having to think about it or saying please and thank you and your welcome were second nature. There are a lot of small things that we can do everyday with out any additional effort and just think where that might lead us!
While we are on this topic, what about hats? Remember when we took our hats off indoors or in the presence of a lady? look around you the next time you are in a restaurant or store... how many men have removed their hats? Really....sitting in a restaurant eating and still wearing a hat? how RUDE!
Cell phones? can that many calls be that important that people have to chat while in line in stores or other public places? Please, excuse yourself and go outside...It's not all about you! You should be grouped together with the smokers! We don't want their second hand smoke and we certainly don't want your second hand conversation.
Just an other day in paradise!
While we are on this topic, what about hats? Remember when we took our hats off indoors or in the presence of a lady? look around you the next time you are in a restaurant or store... how many men have removed their hats? Really....sitting in a restaurant eating and still wearing a hat? how RUDE!
Cell phones? can that many calls be that important that people have to chat while in line in stores or other public places? Please, excuse yourself and go outside...It's not all about you! You should be grouped together with the smokers! We don't want their second hand smoke and we certainly don't want your second hand conversation.
Just an other day in paradise!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
CT liquor sales on sunday
CT state just does not get it. Having package store open on Sunday will not generate lots of new revenue for the state. Stores will just do the same weekly total sales, they will just have to be open an other day at more cost to the store owners.The theory that it will keep lots of people from traveling to Mass. to buy their liquor is not true. People go to Mass because it is cheaper to buy there than in Ct. Now the Mass has dropped their sales tax on liquor it will just encourage more people to make the trip across the border,Sunday or any other day! When this happens CT will look at the increased revenue that mass is generating and say "Maybe we should drop the sale tax to get people back" then what happen to the argument about increased revenue?. If This happens will they reverse the Sunday ruling and take the burden off the store owners?
While we are on the topic....one one hand the state is worried about drunk driving and alcohol related problems but they want us to have an extra day to buy and they not only except people to buy but to buy enough to bail us out of their excessive spending.
The other prime example is lotto they say play responsibly but the keep coming out with new games to take us to the cleaners.
Just an other day in paradise!
While we are on the topic....one one hand the state is worried about drunk driving and alcohol related problems but they want us to have an extra day to buy and they not only except people to buy but to buy enough to bail us out of their excessive spending.
The other prime example is lotto they say play responsibly but the keep coming out with new games to take us to the cleaners.
Just an other day in paradise!
Friday, January 14, 2011
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