Motley, I wasn't defending the current system, I was merely explaining how it works. Anyone can apply for a license to start a liquor store and I'm sure the state would happily accept if all criteria were met and there were enough potential to support one. One thing our state does very well is find ways to extort more and more money out of us under the guise of helping schools, public services and whatever else the can conjure.
As much as I hate the state having sole control over liquor sales, the ballot measure proposed will be far worse in terms of selection and pricing.
I don't believe the state will accept losing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue which means they are either going to over tax liquor, as our friends in Washington have experienced, or they will find a way to spread it out by increasing taxes across the board.