PolitickerNY, by Azi Paybarah, July 21, 2011. The legal options to block Wal-Mart from opening a store in East New York are rather limited. So, opponents are trying to win (or hold onto?) public sentiment that the big megastore will drive smaller, well-liked stores out of business. A labor-backed anti-WalMart group is out with a video today, featuring Councilman Charles Barron and other local residents talking about their appreciation for local store owners who go out of their way to help local residents.
The Langar Hall, by Brooklynwala, July 21, 2011. I just got an email from the Working Families Party (a progressive political party in NYC) about the latest developments in mega-corporation Walmart’s latest attempts to set up shop in NYC. One of the biggest real estate development companies in the city called Related is reportedly in discussions with Walmart about building its first NYC store in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. The below video put together by ALIGN, the Alliance for a Greater New York, features a Sikh business owner, Iqbal Chhabra.
Buffalo News, By Maryellen Tighe, July 20, 2011. The state has powerful business incentives that could be used to promote urban reinvestment and slow down sprawl, advocates of reform say, but current policies prevent that. Industrial development agencies are funded by the deals they make, so numerous large plans are sought, and that prevents smaller local companies from benefiting, Sam Magavern, co-director of the Partnership for the Public Good, said Tuesday at a forum hosted by the group.
New York Observer, By Emily Witt, July 19, 2011. The day after the boisterous opening of Duane Reade’s Wall Street megashopping emporium, a rally was taking place a few blocks away from the new store. New York state assemblywoman Inez Barron and union leader Rich Whalen stood outside the New York State comptroller’s office on Maiden Lane to announce their request for an audit of a controversial land deal: the purchase by the Related Group of what is the rumored future site of a Walmart in East New York.
Buffalo News, By Dale Anderson, July 18, 2011. "Subsidy Reform" is the topic as Bettina Damiani, who runs Good Jobs New York, speaks at a downtown public forum sponsored by the Partnership for the Public Good at 4 p.m. in Suite 1200, 237 Main St. The subsidies she targets are the ones the governments give to companies in hopes that they'll create jobs, but it doesn't always happen that way.
