Democracy Has Prevailed.

November 6, 2009

The Trib. Again.

Yawn.

Aw, geez. We gotta do this again?

From one of today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorials:
By destroying the myth that state control of alcohol sales ameliorates societal harm, a new Commonwealth Foundation report bolsters the case for ending Pennsylvania's archaic status quo.

"Government-Run Liquor Stores: The Social Impact of Privatization" (available at CommonwealthFoundation.org) says privatizing sales lowers per-capita consumption and DUI-related fatality rates and doesn't increase underage drinking.

It concludes: "Evidence from 48 states over time shows no link between market controls and ... social goals."

The Reason Foundation estimates Pennsylvania could sell its wholesale and retail liquor operations for $1.7 billion. And, Commonwealth's Nathan Benefield estimates, annual alcohol sales tax revenue would remain close to its existing level.[emphasis added]
Guess what?

There's no mention of the $410,000 in grants ($140K in 2008 and 2007 and $130K in 2006) from the Richard Mellon Scaife-controlled Sarah Scaife Foundation to the Commonwealth Foundation in this editorial from the Richard Mellon Scaife owned Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

AND

There's no mention of the $375,000 in grants ($125K each from 2008, 2007 and 2006) from the Richard Mellon Scaife-controlled Sarah Scaife Foundation to the Commonwealth Foundation in this editorial from the Richard Mellon Scaife owned Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

That's $785,000 gone unmentioned by Scaife's brain trust.

Richard Mellon Scaife's journalistic circle jerk continues. (Don't these guys get tired?)

But wait, there's another aspect of Scaife's circle jerk to be explored.

Take a look at this page. (It's the Board of Directors page at Commonwealthfoundation.org.) The Chairman of the Board is someone named Michael W. Gleba. Does that name sound familiar? It should.

He's the Executive Vice President of the Sarah Foundations.

Can someone tell me if that's kosher?

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