Duquesne Professor to Discuss Liquor Privatization

Duquesne University Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Antony Davies is serving on a panel for the Commonwealth Foundation Policy Summit titled "80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania" and "Five Ways to Cut $5 Billion" on Monday.

Davies will present and discuss his study about how the privatization of liquor in Pennsylvania will effect the public socially. His study concluded that privatizing liquor licenses in Pennsylvania will decrease DUI fatalities. Davies says that his study is the most comprehensive to date because it compares all 50 states over the past 25 years, whereas other studies only look at one particular state or point in time.

"There is a visceral response that people have, particularly people who have been touched personally by these issues. The question as an economist that we try to push for is putting emotion aside."

Davie says that the facts show that the privatization of liquor in Pennsylvania will benefit the individual not only socially, but economically as well.

"In total, are we better off? The answer is going to be clearly yes, economically. The reason is the private industry produces products more cheaply and better than government does."

The summit will take place in Harrisburg and will be televised on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.