Taxes aside... my personal opinion is that the state is screwing themselves out of tax revenue by not privatizing it...

For me personally... I would have a fully stocked liquour cabinet at home if I didn't have to go to a separate store to purchase booze (especially one that closes before I even get home from work). We go to a grocery store a couple of times a week; my wife and I wouldn't bat an eye at throwing in a bottle of this or a bottle of that each time in order to make whatever foo-foo drink we felt like that night.

The only time we buy hard alchohol now is for camping trips... Its hard to beat a bloody mary breakfast to cure the hangover from the night before.