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WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday a coalition of nonprofit and consumer groups sent a letter to Congress expressing concerns about H.R. 5034, the Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness (CARE), a bill that would give states unprecedented, unwarranted powers to regulate wine in interstate commerce.
The letter to Congress, organized by the D.C.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute and signed by 42 organizations, calls the bill “an affront to consumer freedom.”
“H.R. 5034 undercuts basic constitutional principles to serve a single special interest,” the letter reads. “Should lawmakers proceed with this legislation, consumers, small businesses, and our constitutional system will suffer.”
The letter addresses legislation that would empower states to ignore the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, as well as a number of other federal laws – including anti-trust laws.
Opponents are concerned that states could then impose a host of protectionist regulations that impede interstate commerce to serve special interests within their states. These regulations could impede direct shipping of wine to consumers, create a patchwork of labeling and product formulation mandates, impose discriminatory tax policies, and more.
The bill is largely supported by wholesalers of beer, wine and spirits who seek to protect the “three-tier system” in which they serve as middlemen between breweries, wineries, and distilleries and retailers.
“Wholesalers fear that if states continue to allow direct-to-consumer sales, they might eventually allow retailers to buy direct as well, reducing wholesaler profits,” explained CEI’s Angela Logomasini. “While wholesalers play an important role in the distribution process,” she notes, “they should have to compete like everyone else for their place in the market rather than gain it by regulatory fiat.”
Consumers have expressed concern via a Facebook group and Web site called Stop HR 5034, www.stophr5034.org/, while all the wine, beer, and spirits producers and importers trade associations have sent letters to the Hill expressing their opposition to the legislation.
“CEI’s coalition letter informs members of Congress that nonprofits and consumer-focused organizations view H.R. 5034 as a serious assault on consumer freedom,” said Logomasini.
The bill is opposed by groups including the Wine Institute, Family Winemakers of California, Napa Valley Vintners, Washington Wine Institute, the American Wine Society and the Brewers Association, among others.
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LAKE COUNTY – Mediacom customers in Lake County gained a 28-percent boost to the Family Cable channels available in high-definition (HD) reception as a result of equipment added to Mediacom’s network last week.
The company added nine more cable networks to the selection of HD channels included automatically as part of Family Cable.
The new HD channels include cable news networks MSNBC HD at channel 854 and Headline News (HLN) HD at channel 868.
Also included in the new additions are Travel HD, Comedy Central HD, Nickelodeon HD and others.
The HD channels are additions to Mediacom’s Family Cable service, available at no added cost to customers equipped for HD television viewing.
In total, 41 HD channels located between 802 and 877 are available as a regular part of HD Family Cable.
Mediacom’s area operations manager, Shawn Swatosh, said that consumer demand for high-definition television continues to grow, and Mediacom’s channel expansion was planned to provide the cable networks where consumers spend most of their viewing hours.
“Just ask any electronics store manager in Lake County, and you’ll hear that consumer demand for HDTV continues to grow,” Swatosh said. “The world of digital TV and high-def are great improvements in television, and our Mediacom commitment is to deliver the most popular channels in HD as an added value to Family Cable. We want to help customers maximize their viewing and get the most from their investment in HD televisions.”
High-definition channels new to Mediacom HD Family Cable, as of July 14 include:
Ch. 854 – MSNBC HD
Ch. 865 – AMC HD
Ch. 866 – Travel Channel HD
Ch. 868 – HLN (Headline News) HD
Ch. 869 – truTV HD
Ch. 870 – Spike HD
Ch. 871 – Comedy Central HD
Ch. 872 – MTV HD
Ch. 877 – Nickelodeon HD
The additions to Family Cable are automatic and there is no added cost for customers equipped for HDTV.
To view the higher-resolution HD channels, Family Cable customers need to use an HD television connected to a Mediacom HD cable box or cable card. Customers who subscribe to premium movie channels also receive those channels in HD. Viewers with basic cable service can see HD versions of eight local broadcast stations between channels 802 and 817. (Basic cable does not include the “expanded” channel line-up of Family Cable.)
Mediacom Communications is the nation’s seventh largest cable television company and one of the leading cable operators focused on serving the smaller cities and towns in the United States. Mediacom Communications offers a wide array of broadband products and services, including traditional video services, digital television, video-on-demand, DVRs, HDTV, high-speed data access and phone service.
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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH NEW EMPLOYERS.
LAKEPORT – Lake One-Stop Inc. at 55 First St. in Lakeport is co-sponsoring a two-employer job fair on Wednesday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Those interested in employment should be prepared to interview on-the-spot during the recruiting event.
Adecco is looking to hire approximately 60 hospitality and winery workers for the positions of server, cellar worker and barrel worker for locations in Ukiah, Geyserville and Healdsburg.
Bring a resume, references, two forms of identification and direct deposit information.
Complete an online application prior to the event at www.adeccousa.com.
Wages will range between $10.50 and $12.50 per hour.
A Spanish-speaking consultant will be available. If anyone has questions, please call 925-825-8141.
Westamerica Bank is recruiting for positions at several locations: bank teller and assistant customer service manager in Lakeport, bank teller in Calistoga and an on-call teller that would travel around Lake County as needed. Wages will depend on experience.
Safeway will be there scouting for local employment opportunities and several other employers may also be in attendance.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Husband and wife entrepreneurs Mitch and Carol Beare are proud to celebrate the opening of a brand-new Grocery Outlet in Clearlake on Thursday, July 22, with a grand opening celebration planned for Saturday, July 24.
Clearlake and surrounding Lake County area residents can expect to save up to 50 percent on brand name, quality foods and merchandise at the new Grocery Outlet, the largest “extreme-value” grocer in the U.S.
The new store, located in the Burns Valley Mall at 14806 Olympic Drive, is located directly across the street from the Rite-Aid and Lakeshore Fire Department.
In a time when mom-and-pop shops – let alone large corporations – are shuttering store windows instead of opening them, the Beares are striking out on a new venture.
Mitch Beare, originally from Sonoma County and a resident of Lakeport for almost 25 years with wife Carol and six children, has been in the retail business since 1987. He worked his way up the corporate ladder into management positions for Safeway, Pay-less, Rite-Aid and Thrifty.
Carol was born and raised in Lakeport and in addition to being a stay-at-home mother to their six children, is a part-time Lakeport Unified School District substitute teacher, soccer coach and PTA president. In 2008 and after 10 years of Mitch serving as store manager for Safeway in Lakeport, the Beares answered a regional recruitment advertisement for Grocery Outlet.
The Beares were drawn to Grocery Outlet’s dedication to the family-oriented credo of business ownership and the opportunity to own a thriving business near the area they’ve called home for so many years.
After a year-and-a-half-long owner/operator training with Grocery Outlets in Lakeport and Ukiah, the Beares will finally own their own store – one that stands near the very location that Carol’s father, Richard Hall, purchased his longstanding business in 1976.
Hall was known for his robust community support and the Beares are thrilled to continue their volunteerism through Grocery Outlet with local nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the local VA clinic and surrounding area schools.
To support operations for the new store, the Beares have hired 37 local residents, many through Lake One-Stop, as well as few from their immediate family, including their son-in-law who will serve as the store’s manager.
Hired positions range from everything from merchandisers to department managers. Hiring at this time is significant, especially considering local unemployment rates recently were reported at 16.8 percent, one of the highest rates experienced in the county within the past 20 years.
The new store will occupy a former Rite-Aid and Pay-Less. Originally at 36,000 square feet, the space will be divided into two businesses. The Clearlake Grocery Outlet will occupy a majority of the space and Dollar Tree, which is expected to open at the end of August, will occupy the other portion.
At 20,000 square feet, the newly renovated Grocery Outlet space will feature a spacious nine aisles of product offerings, an 8-foot premium fresh meat case with all natural USDA top-cuts, large seasonal produce displays, a dedicated organic section, and an enhanced wine and beer department.
As is the case with most Grocery Outlets locations nationwide, the new Clearlake store site will provide a once underserved area with much needed fresh and nutritious foods at affordable prices.
“Having worked in the retail industry for many years, I’m excited to be able to offer Clearlake and surrounding area Lake County residents the opportunity to save a significant amount of money on through Grocery Outlet,” said Mitch Beare. “Our customers will notice that discount shoppers don’t have to shop in a discount atmosphere, nor sacrifice on name brands or quality.”
Even amidst challenging economic times, Grocery Outlet stores across California are thriving, especially in Northern California, where additional stores are being planned beyond Clearlake and the recent opening of the Pinole location.
The Beares are marking the grand opening of the new Grocery Outlet with a host of community-driven, celebratory events.
The store will host the opening celebrations on Saturday, July 24, with an array of events including free food sampling, free eco-friendly Grocery Outlet bags for the first 700 customers, face painting and games, giveaways, balloons, a local charity fundraiser on behalf of the Lake County 4-H and the chance to win more than $3,300 in prizes.
Based in Berkeley, Calif., Grocery Outlet offers extreme bargains on brand name merchandise, with prices often up to 50 percent cheaper than conventional retailers.
The largest “extreme-value” grocer in the U.S., Grocery Outlet has 140 locations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Grocery Outlet carries refrigerated and frozen foods, fresh produce, organics, dry groceries, beer and wine, health and beauty care, over-the-counter drugs, household products, toys and gifts.
A third-generation family-led company founded in 1946, Grocery Outlet’s mission has always been to provide customers a fun place to find extreme values on name brands they trust. Most stores are independently owned and operated by locally-based families.
For more information, please visit www.groceryoutlets.com.