Tag Archives: Alcohol

Unclear On The Concept

Jonathan Shurberg   January 19, 2016   No Comments on Unclear On The Concept

Shorter Adam Pagnucco to Kathleen Matthews: here’s all the reasons why your campaign for Congress sucks. You know what would really help? Support meeeee! That’s some quality persuasion right there. Dale Carnegie would be proud. But even apart from the “insult her, then suggest she support you” problem, the advice is terrible. Already subject to criticism, as I’ve pointed out, for being a… Read more »

A Position I Didn’t Know I Held In An Organization I Didn’t Know Existed

Jonathan Shurberg   January 5, 2016   No Comments on A Position I Didn’t Know I Held In An Organization I Didn’t Know Existed

In response to my after midnight post about Adam Pagnucco’s letter to County Attorney Marc Hansen, Barry O’Connell was sufficiently outraged that he wrote the following Facebook post.    Pure comedy gold. “Explaining how to read a legal case” = “scathing blog based hatchet job.” I had no idea. And would it have been a better or worse “hatchet job” if it… Read more »

Don’t Try This At Home

Jonathan Shurberg   January 5, 2016   6 Comments on Don’t Try This At Home

I’ve been a lawyer for almost (gulp) 25 years now. One of my pet peeves when I was in private practice was when clients would offer their own legal advice or even better - this actually happened - advice from their bartender. Which opened up a whole host of other issues, but that’s a different story. Law is the only… Read more »

Outsourcing The Liquor Argument

Jonathan Shurberg   January 4, 2016   1 Comment on Outsourcing The Liquor Argument

Councilmember Roger Berliner, the lone member of the Montgomery County Council supporting privatization of the county’s liquor monopoly, has a Facebook post up about some of the problems that the Department of Liquor Control had over the holiday season. There’s a number of comments, but this one is particularly instructive. Until some of the many good questions raised by the commenter are answered,… Read more »

George Leventhal Responds To Franchot Report 

Jonathan Shurberg   December 24, 2015   No Comments on George Leventhal Responds To Franchot Report 

From Facebook: I like and respect my old friend Comptroller Peter Franchot but I wish he would exercise more due diligence and help Montgomery County government figure out means to mitigate the damage that would be done to our operating and capital budgets by giving away a profitable asset (liquor sales) to private interests and getting nothing in return. It seems… Read more »

The Inigo Montoya Alcohol Report

Jonathan Shurberg   December 23, 2015   No Comments on The Inigo Montoya Alcohol Report

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” The word in this case being not “inconceivable,” but “revenue.” Yesterday, Comptroller Peter Franchot held an event to tout his new “report” about all the “revenue” that will be gained by doing away with Montgomery County’s alcohol monopoly. I kept hearing Inigo Montoya’s voice over… Read more »

ICYMI: Post Summary Of Alcohol Issue

Jonathan Shurberg   December 10, 2015   No Comments on ICYMI: Post Summary Of Alcohol Issue

Over last weekend, Bill Turque of the Post had a very good writeup of some of the basic questions surrounding the alcohol privatization issues currently being considered by the county’s legislative delegation. I missed it - if you did too, here you go. A snippet to whet your appetite: Montgomery’s monopoly in the alcohol business — as the county’s exclusive wholesaler of… Read more »

Descent Into Madness

Jonathan Shurberg   November 30, 2015   No Comments on Descent Into Madness

Almost 11:00, and we have yet to reach the actual privatization bill. There are over 40 witnesses signed up on that bill. It’s time to rethink my priorities. Right now I’m regretting not having brought the bourbon. But I did bring some reading material that describes me well.    As I took the picture, a witness just compared the government… Read more »

Other Fun Stuff Tonight

Jonathan Shurberg   November 30, 2015   No Comments on Other Fun Stuff Tonight

Local bill hearing tonight before the County Annapolis delegation  on the alcohol “giveaway” - wait, sorry, privatization bill. Hearing starts at 7. Tune in on the Internet or local County access programming channel and watch. I’ll be testifying, explaining why I think it IS a giveaway. Should be fun. Maybe I’ll fill up my flask with some bourbon and make… Read more »