SEATTLE -The State of Washington has a liquor monopoly and ships all of the booze through one massive Distribution Center in Seattle. So a problem at the Distribution Center can wreak havoc in liquor stores, clubs and restaurants from Seattle to Spokane.
Last summer a computer glitch caused a statewide liquor shortage when cases of alcohol were getting stuck in the automated carousels and missed the delivery trucks. It was a costly and embarrassing problem during the busy tourist season. The problems went on for months and the state paid workers $143,000 in overtime from June to September, primarily to address the shipment problems.
In March, the KING 5 Investigators learned of another problem. The Distribution Center had been calculating the weights of shipments wrong for months. Trucking companies are paid according to distance and weight, so it’s a significant problem when the bills of lading are inaccurate.
When asked about the extent of the problem, Pat McLaughlin, Director of Business Enterprise for the Washington State Liquor Control Board, said, “It was literally a day or two in the month of September” and it was fixed right away.
But sources told KING 5 the problem had been going on for months. And an internal audit, just recently completed, confirms the overpayments went for about six months beginning last fall. The audit found that the state overpaid carriers $327,118, money it now wants back.
Last week, the Washington State Liquor Control Board sent letters to three trucking companies saying, "We would ask that this overpayment be resolved via a check from your company within 30 days of receipt of this notice."
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