Walmart’s no Santa Claus for New York City

December 20, 2010
Walmart is bad for New York City

It seems that even the largest retail business in the world is not immune to a public relations faux pas once in a while. A Walmart internal email – sent less than a month before Christmas – directed its 3,800 stores to hike prices on 1,800 types of toys to maximize profits. Hardly a way for the retail giant to win hearts and minds of New Yorkers. “What New Yorkers have not been asked is if they would support Walmart knowing it would mean the disappearance of the stores they have patronized for years,” said Brad Gerstman, a lawyer with Gotham Government Relations, a Long Island consulting firm, who represents Gristedes supermarkets. “I have no doubts their answer would be no.”

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Video: Town of Hempstead Bans Smoking in Parks

December 16, 2010
Town of Hempstead

The Town of Hempstead voted to ban smoking in the town’s 100 parks and beaches. Gotham’s Ian Magerkurth weighed in on behalf of New York’s small business wholesalers and retailers.

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Wal-Mart’s War on Small Business – Gotham Fights Back

December 15, 2010
Walmart New York City

“Wal-Mart has a graphic history of eating up business communities on Main Street and when you think about the uniqueness of our neighborhoods in Brooklyn and the other boroughs, it is just mind-boggling that the City would even consider bringing in this destructive giant in this economy. We need to stand up for our business community and not allow the destruction of good union jobs, the loss of small business, the erosion of health care, the erosion of reasonable wages and the loss of the spirit and vibrancy that makes New York so special.”

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Newsday’s Ellis Henican on Brad Gerstman Long Islander of the Week

November 10, 2010
Ellis Henican Newsday

Newsday’s Ellis Henican: Lots of public-spirited Long Islanders volunteer. And then there is Brad Gerstman…

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Video: Public Hearing – Impact of New York State’s Clean Indoor Air Act

September 28, 2010
New York State Senate

Gotham’s David Schwartz and Ron Melendi of De La Concha cigars appear before the New York Senate Committee on Health. The purpose of this hearing is to learn how the changes to the Clean Indoor Air Act enacted in 2003 along with local action to further regulate smoking and tobacco products have impacted the health [...]

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New York Tobacconist Association Leads Opposition to Mayor Bloomberg’s Smoking Ban

September 16, 2010
Mayor Bloomberg

Gotham Government Relations, New York’s fastest-growing lobbying firm, is speaking out in opposition to the Mayor’s smoking ban. The mayor is calling for smoking to be banned on public park benches and beaches, all the while ignoring the local tobacconists whose businesses will be thrust one step closer to closure. The mayor’s proposed smoking ban is ridiculous in that this will only further hurt the already faltering economy of New York by driving more and more smokers to buy their products on the Internet and other out of state sources.

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Smoked Out: State, Federal Legislation Target New York Tobacco Consumers

June 28, 2010
Federal State Cig Laws

Dramatic changes are on the horizon for New York tobacco consumers. Federal legislation has not only increased the federal tax on cigarettes, but has limited cigarette distribution. Proposed New York State legislation increases the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to an unprecedented level. Governor David Paterson’s emergency legislation proposes to reinstate New York’s regulatory scheme to tax cigarettes sold to non-Indians by Indian retailers on reservation land. A recent New York Court of Appeals decision provides guidance to New York legislators and regulators who may be tasked with crafting these delicate yet powerful regulations.

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New York Tobacconists Speak Out Against Increased OTP Tax

June 19, 2010
Small Business Fights Back

New York Tobacconists Association gathered to speak out against an increased state OTP tax that would put them out of business and would lose money for the state. Shot at De La Concha in Manhattan by the European Cigar Journal.

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Danger Lies In Tobacco Tax

June 16, 2010
Terrorist

Politicians expand tobacco taxes to discourage smoking and to feed their own nicotine-like addiction to public spending. Like so many others, this government action smolders with unintended consequences. Tobacco taxes create a perfect arbitrage opportunity that radical Muslims exploit to collect money for terrorist groups

Read More on How High Tobacco Taxes Create Opportunity For Terrorists

New York Governor Eyes Emergency Cigarette Tax

June 16, 2010
Governor David Paterson

The New York Post reports this morning that Governor Paterson may include a $1-a-pack tax hike on cigarettes in his next round of emergency spending legislation.

Read More About the Emergency Tax Hike...

Senate Report: Why New York Fails to Collect Cigarette Taxes on Native American Reservations

June 12, 2010
New York State Senate

New York State faces a $9 billion shortfall while failing to collect taxes on the billions of dollars worth of cigarettes sold by Native American reservations. Why? Read the report by the New York Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations

Read the Report...

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