Just in case the fact that he’s Rick Perry isn’t enough, how about the fact that he’s objectively anti-microbrewery?
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, running for re-election in 2010, just got the endorsement of the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas. Therefore, that makes Perry the enemy of craft beer lovers in Texas.
If you read this blog earlier in the year, you know that WBDT and its lobbyist, Mike McKinney, single-handedly killed off a bill during the 81st Legislative Session that would have allowed microbrewers to sell their product on the premises of the brewery — a sales-boosting opportunity afforded to Texas wineries, but not to beermakers. They also killed a similar bill in 2007 during the 80th session. The wholesalers have a stranglehold on how beer gets from the brewing tanks to you. Understandably, they don’t want that stranglehold taken away, but the legislators (and Governor) ought to be serving the public, not the lobby.
So if WBDT is getting whole hog behind Perry, then you can guess how things are gonna go in the unlikely event an on-site sales bill ever reaches his desk.
What more do you need to know?
I guess Perry is against small business.
But is this really surprising? Can you really see the average Perry voter drinking micro-brews? The wholesale garbage is much more popular with the types of people who populate drinking establishments where beer bottles are tossed at chicken-wire encased stages.
Since he’s already the chosen candidate of the chosen few who decide these things, does anyone think Bill White would sign an on-site sales bill IF it managed to get through the legislature? It takes a lot of money to “lobby” and you can be sure if Bill White becomes governor he will follow tradition and have a “second chance” fundraiser and you can make bet the wholesale distributors will be there with checkbooks in hand. Why lobby the legislature when you can just buy a governor?
Baby Snooks,
Perhaps White will flip-flop, but last I checked, this is where he stands on microbreweries: http://i-love-beer.blogspot.com/2009/10/this-could-definitely-sway-my-vote.html
You be sure and let me know when he makes it part of his campaign promises.