The campaign to privatize the liquor business in Oregon is getting started.
The Oregonian newspaper reports Oregonians for Competition, a political action committee tied to the Northwest Grocery Association, has already spent $30,000 on consultants.
It reported campaign expenditures last week of $15,000 each to Winner & Mandabach Campaigns and to the Silver Bullet company. Silver Bullet collects signatures for ballot initiatives. Winner & Mandabach worked on the campaign to defeat proposed labels for genetically modified food.
Oregonians for Competition filed petitions two weeks ago that could lead to a ballot measure asking voters whether to privatize liquor sales. It would allow most stores that already sell beer and wine to sell hard liquor.
Grocers and Costco led a successful privatization effort two years ago in Washington State.
