Raising the cost is a tax increase

I see in Thursday’s Herald that the state liquor board is increasing the markup on liquor by 32 percent. How is this anything less than a tax increase?

The state takes away $80 million from the Liquor Control Board, so the board raises prices 32 percent to get the money back. This is just one more sleight-of-hand trick to get more money out of the taxpayer.

The state has a monopoly on the liquor business in this state. Maybe it’s time to turn this industry over to private business, which might have to run it like it was a real business.

Dave Brooks

Everett