Is Massachusetts Really Green and Eco Friendly?

The utterly lame three-week shutdown of the Massachusetts House of Representatives over the alcohol license for a proposed Wegmans in Westwood raises an interesting question: how eco-friendly is Massachusetts?

According to an editorial in the Enterprise News:

It's a ridiculous situation, but that's because the state's post-Prohibition alcohol regulatory framework is ridiculous. There is no good reason liquor licenses should be limited at all, except to protect some businesses against competition from other businesses.

Two reactions:

a.) Agreed...ridiculous. It's 2008...makes little sense.

b.) Why force people to drive to multiple stores to get their goods? Doesn't that create more carbon emissions? Do we really want more cars on the road for short little trips instead of giving consumers the choice -- the choice -- to combine errands in as few places as possible? Of course, the "mom and pop" beer and wine stores may suffer, but people can still choose to shop there or Wegmans or Walmart.

Seems strange that liberal Massachusetts is somewhat eco-unfriendly and anti-choice.

More Politics Preventing Wegmans in Boston

Politicians are having fun blocking a liquor license for Wegmans in Massachusetts, thus preventing a new store in a new market. Some details from news articles and editorials show it's more than just for the sake of policy, it's more about preventing competition, doing favors and good ol' lobbying:

Patriot Ledger:
"McMurtry said Rep. Angelo Scaccia, a Democrat from Boston, told McMurtry that he would block the bill because it would give Wegmans a competitive advantage against a nearby Roche Bros. store in Westwood."

The Daily News Transcript:
McMurtry, who is pushing for the Legislature to approve the bill, thinks Scaccia is being influenced by a potential Wegmans competitor. It seems clear he is. Roche Bros. Supermarkets, whose CEO and owner, Rick Roche, lives in Westwood, hired former state representative Maryanne Lewis to lobby on its behalf. Lewis served in the House with Scaccia.

Update on Wegmans in Boston Area

From today's MetroWest Daily News:

BOSTON — State Rep. Paul McMurtry brought the House to a standstill Monday, hoping to pressure fellow legislators to act on Westwood's petition to obtain a beer and wine license for Wegmans supermarket.

Further down:

"There are some concerns that some other establishments in Westwood will be negatively impacted, and they want to make sure that those are addressed," McMurtry said, citing Roche Bros. Supermarkets.

It appears the Roche Brothers are a little afraid of competition, which is shame because stores tend to become more attentive when a Wegmans arrives in the area.

Why No Wegmans in Albany?

As mentioned in a previous post, a huge new Wegmans store in Henrietta near Rochester will be opening Sunday.

Of course, that's great news for the local Rochester area. Meanwhile, multiple stores continue to operate in Buffalo and Syracuse.

But why has Wegmans ignored the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area all of these years? Let's look at some demographics:

Metro Area --- Population
Buffalo --- 1,170,111
Rochester --- 1,039,028
Syracuse --- 732,117
Jamestown --- 30,726
Ithaca --- 29,952
-----------------------------------
Albany --- 850,957

Of course, population density is not the sole determining factor for Wegmans to consider, but one wonders why Albany, the state's capital, has been left out for so long? It's a relatively wealthy area with Saratoga Springs, universities and other job centers. And plenty of people.

With talk of expanding to Boston, perhaps Albany will finally become a Wegmans town, otherwise, there will be an even larger hole on the store locator map.

The current expansion pattern and new stores are centered in the D.C. suburbs, which makes sense as there is plenty of disposable income and people in that major metro region.

But why not Albany? What's wrong with Albany?

Wegmans in Boston?

People familiar with Wegmans clamor for the store in their city. With the D.C. and Philly markets conquered, is Boston next? Should it be the next big city market for Wegmans to expand and thereby increase its cult status and profit margin?

I would guess that by looking at the store locator map that Boston is not next. Look where the retail service center is located -- right in the heart of Pennsylvania with access to all four compass points. I don't think Boston sees a Wegmans until Albany sees one first.