Gov. Perdue said today:

I don’t want to be the governor who holds my little granddaughter’s hand as I walk down the aisles of Wal-Mart or Target or Rose’s1 to the toy center and have to pass shelves and shelves of liquor.2

Beer and wine, yes.3 But liquor? No no no, because (choose one):

  1. It is sinful and not what we want in North Carolina
  2. It might cost the state and local governments revenue4
  3. A–when speaking with religious activists (and being careful not to mention deregulated beer or wine sales)
  4. B–when speaking with legislators, commissioners, and big-government activists (and being careful not to mention deregulated beer or wine sales)
  5. Both C and D


Notes

1. Apparently the boycott is over.
2. In none of those stores is the toy section accessed through the alcohol section.
3. Rose’s doesn’t sell beer or wine and wouldn’t sell liquor.
4. Except that the state could easily adjust excise taxes and (additional) licensing fees to keep revenues the same, formerly state-owned liquor stores and associated properties would begin paying property taxes, and of course the sales of those properties would result in one-year windfalls.