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Date Posted: 21:59:42 11/08/14 Sat
Author: Alma Dawkins
Subject:

Newburgh City of Impotence

Tobacco sellers fume over proposed Newburgh law

Public hearing held on city's plan to issue licenses

By Leonard Sparks
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 14, 2014 @ 8:52 pm

CITY OF NEWBURGH � Newburgh may eventually pass what may be the toughest tobacco licensing law in the state, but not without protests from the gas station and grocery store owners who sell cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Some of those owners showed up for an hour-long public hearing on Tuesday to criticize the proposed law, which would require stores selling tobacco to apply for a city-issued license in addition to their state tobacco retailer�s license.

While other municipalities, including New York City, have licensing laws for tobacco sellers, Newburgh would require them to be free of code violations and meet other eligibility requirements.

Newburgh would also cap the number of licenses available and have the power to ultimately reduce the number of retailers allowed to sell tobacco products within the city.

�We do pay a lot of taxes, and if you take the product out, the city�s going to lose a lot of money,� said Bhajan Singh, who owns gas stations on Broadway and on Lake Street.

The law would cover tobacco- and nicotine-containing products ranging from cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco to snuff and bidis, a form of cigarette popular with natives of India.

Supporters of the law, which was crafted in partnership with the TEAM Newburgh coalition, call it a weapon in efforts to prevent young people from taking up smoking and suffering its harmful effects.

�My heart goes out to anybody who�s affected financially,� said Martin Colavito, director of prevention and adolescent services for Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange County, which oversees TEAM Newburgh. �However, when I think about the financial part of this, I come to addiction, disease and death.�

Retailers would be prohibited from selling tobacco without a city license and banned from tobacco sales within 1,000 feet of a school�s property line.

Applicants for a license would have to have their shops inspected by the police department and meet a set of conditions.

Among the requirements is that they be free of building, fire or property-maintenance code violations, and not have violated any state laws covering the sale and display of tobacco products. Newburgh would also require that they not be delinquent on city fees or fines.

And just one tobacco license would be issued for every two that are revoked or not renewed the previous year. Penalties for violating the law range from $500 for a first offense to $2,000 and up to a year in jail.

�This proposal fails to balance the interests of public health and free enterprise,� said Jim Calvin, president of the state Association of Convenience Stores. �It thoroughly hands over the wheel to the anti-tobacco community.�

lsparks@th-record.com

>> This only goes to strengthen my resolve that the entire government of this city is nothing more than sterile, ugly virgins and impotent idiots. There are dangerous drugs on the streets, still gangs lurking and roaming about the place. Crime is up. Property values are at river level and headed for sea level. The place looks like one grand shit hole and the government is chasing businesses out. OK so there aren't that many hired by these businesses. But a job is better than people living on the dole and riding on the backs of the few taxpayers that are left here.

But this nonsense about tobacco is the most limpd**ked excuse I've seen in a while. Not to mention we have to have some judgemental religious freak spouting about it. Hey there padre, how about pulling the cross out and get to the streets to clean up the real crime? Oh that's right, Jesus won't let you. Peace then.

Honestly it looks like this city is about to become the parking lot people bitch about not being there for the businesses. Soon Newburgh will be the parking lot for all of the businesses in the rest of Orange county and most of Dutchess, Ulster and Putnam. Park your car in the Newburgh lot and we'll shuttle for free to the not Newburgh stores of your choice!

Great going you total asshats in our glorious city hall. I hope some blessing comes and strikes you all so you can be removed from future gene pools.

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