Went to wash my car the other day at the Callaway Car Wash and guess what – Maryland car washes are considered non-essential businesses and accordingly have been closed per Gov. Hogan’s Executive Order. Of course, car wash owners are not too pleased about being considered non-essential (click here.)
It brings up the whole issue of what is and what isn’t considered an essential business. The matter is all over the place as each state decides what is or is not essential. Homeland Security has their overall list of Essential Businesses (good luck trying to wade thru it if you care to do so (click here.)) However, that list is only a recommendation and states are free to pick and choose as they please. Here is a good NPR discussion on the issue and talks to how California decided to let each of their counties rule on whether or not gun shops were deemed essential in their localities.
Liquor-wise, alcohol stores have been deemed as an essential businesses by all but one state. Pennsylvania is the only state to close its liquor stores and even they have lightened up on it by allowing liquor stores to do home deliveries (click here.) Note that Pennsylvania is one of those ABC states that owns and controls the sales of hard liquor while beer and wine still can be purchased at convenience and grocery stores. Those sales have been allowed to continue.
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| https://www.businessinsider.com/liquor-stores-essential-businesses-heres-why-2020-4 |
As to why liquor stores have been allowed to stay open, there is the sentiment that folks home-alone need to drink at a time like this. In fact, some trends show that people are indeed drinking way more at home now than they were before the virus hit (click here.) Hey, when you don’t have to get up and go in to work the next morning, why not knock a few back each night!
My bottom line theory as to why liquor stores were allowed to stay open is the Bruce take that “Sooner or later it all comes down to money.” States generate a whole bunch of tax revenue thru alcohol sales. Funny isn’t it that we haven’t heard of any shortages or rationing of beer, wine or liquor have we?
And speaking of the Bruce line, the song that that line is in appropriately enough is a good summary of a discussion about what is or what isn’t considered to be an essential business – Big Muddy. 