Calling for changes to ABC
As a local family owned package store owner, I wish to share some thoughts and insights that collectively impacts on my industry in the state of Mississippi.
In a recent newspaper article, there was a breakdown of revenue monies spent in Mississippi since the enactment of House Bill 1630. $500,000 each month goes to support the Gulf Coast Aquarium Construction Fund, $41,663 goes to support the Catfish Row Museum Construction Fund and $83,334 to the Bass Cultural Arts Center. These are good and valid educational and historical projects for our State. But the State should also invests in one of its best sources of revenue, the ABC. Because it generated in 2018 alone $114,883,277 in revenue for Mississippi!
The current ABC Warehouse can no longer handle today’s volume and capacity properly which is causing reduced service to all distributors throughout Mississippi. The State’s Department of Revenue is asking to purchase an existing warehouse, located directly across the street, for only $4,100.000. This facility has 51,830 square feet of climate controlled warehouse space, 7 dock doors and 1 drive-in door which will provide a long term solution for ABC Warehouse capacity issues and support the potential average 3% growth for the next 15 years.
Contact your representatives in Jackson and ask them to approve this purchase. It will increase revenue to the state for education and infra-structure as well as enable your local Package Store to best serve customers while preserving local business in Mississippi.
Mike Mensi
Gulfport
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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