Our wieners are unique

To the Editor:
As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I was shocked to read the headline in a recent Beacon, “Wieners out, beer in,” on May 23. My wife and I are seniors and well acquainted with Rhode Island politics and business.
Over 50 years of travel, through pleasure or military, Deborah and I have traveled the breadth and width of this great country, from New England to California. One of our many pleasures has been the opportunity to share local cuisine; it’s fun and delicious. Many states do not offer much, and some states offer some odd goodies. Rhode Island is unique; we have a lot of great local foods. How wieners are among one of Rhode Island’s most unique foods. I have shared the little treats with visiting co-workers on occasion from as far away as North Dakota, and without exception they got rave reviews. 
Now, I like beer as much as anybody and have sampled a lot of local beers, some excellent, some pretty ordinary from Washington to Texas, some not worth seconds. Our New York System wieners are unique, they aren’t even available in the Big Apple. Beer, on the other hand, is not very unique. I can travel a half mile in any direction and get a nice cold beer.
I feel there are two possibilities with this decision from the new Rhode Island Commerce Corporation: 1) The folks who made this decision are not from Rhode Island, which is not hard to believe, as the governor is prone to look outside Little Rhody for “real talent,” or 2) it’s the same old Rhode Island story, somebody knows somebody or somebody owes somebody.
To make Rhode Island even less unique, there is a beer outlet right across the street from our building at the Big E. Somebody is not thinking clearly in this situation, bit with Rhode Island state government, that is, unfortunately, not unusual.
Keep our wieners and coffee milk; they are uniquely Rhode ISland!

Daniel G. Marso
Warwick