Joni Yosewine
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Joni Yosewine was a New York State political operative who worked with Philip Morris, Lorillard, the Tobacco Institute and with Scott Wexler at the United Restaurant, Hotel, Taven Association (URHTA) in fighting against the New York City non-smoking ordinances.
Documents and Timeline
1994 Mar 16 The New York City Council under Speaker, Peter Vallone , introduced a Smoke-Free Air Act , with 31 co-sponsors. It required smoking and non-smoking areas in restaurants to be separately ventilated, and further restricted smoking in public places. See Tobacco timeline: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/hjg45d00/pdf
1994 Jun 6 The City Council held a hearing on the Act [now known as 232A]. The tobacco companies bussed employees to the hearing to demonstrate against the Vallone legislation
- "They wore shirts intended to portray them as independent retailers, but when City Council members discovered the ruse, they reacted angrily. The tobacco industry then decided to "lay low for the time being." [Timeline] http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/naz00c00/pdf
1994 Sep 23-26 in the days before the Council's second hearing the URHTA (which was perpetually broke) ran a full page ad (claiming the city was moving "Backwards") in the New York Times , Newsday , the New York Post and the Daily News detailing the claimed adverse economic impact of the bill and called on New Yorkers to contact the Mayor and their Council member. In addition, a 60-second radio spot was produced featuring the same message as the "Backwards" ads and was run on major New York City stations. The restaurateurs then testified along with the Tobacco Institute and the National Smokers Alliance (a Philip Morris front). The New York Times reported that Steve Parrish of PM had threatened to
- ..."reconsider basing its headquarters in NYC if the ban passed."
Philip Morris was also calling on its allies in the art world for support (PM gave the art world a few million a year, and expected support in return). However a survey of New York diners found that 70% agreed that all smoking should be banned. A separate Gallup poll also found that New Yorkers favor smoke-free restaurants. [See Timeline]
1994 Sep 30 /E An Advocate Institute Report on "Front Groups" questioned the legitimacy of the URHTA and [incorrectly] said that the United Restaurant, Hotel, Tavern Association was created to fight the proposed bill in New York City to ban smoking in public places. [Note: It was founded in 1934]. The Report said:
The URHTA predicted a 25% drop in restaurant revenues, if the bill was passed. They placed newspaper ads and sent direct mail denouncing the bill, specifically targeting over 10,000 restaurant owners, some saying "We consider this, short of alcohol beverage prohibition, the most serious risk to our bottom line."
However, New York City-based SmokeFree Educational Services reported that the URHTA had neither an office nor a telephone number in New York City, and that the majority of the individual borough offices were defunct. They also said that Philip Morris was behind the campaign.
"In fact, the United Restaurant, Hotel, Tavern Association of New York doesn't have an office in New York City. It doesn't have a telephone number in New York City. And its Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island chapters are all defunct!
[Note: A distortion of the facts; the office was in Albany] [Source: The New York Times, 26 Sept1994] [2]
1994 Nov Anti-smoking Governor Mario Cuomo was defeated in the election by the tobacco- and business-friendly Republican George Pataki who had campaigned on pro-business policies.
1994 Dec 21 The City Council approved the Smoke-Free Air Act by 36 to 8. Philip Morris continued the media blitz.
However, in defiance of the company, Mayor Guiliani signed the bill at a public hearing.
1995 Jan 17 Trying to clear up loose ends after their defeat, the Tobacco Institute asks Scott to invoice Lorillard for $48,204 to cover one of the advertisements that the URHTA ran on behalf of the industry. [3]
1994 Dec 27: Nick Simeonidis of Lorillard reports to Lorillard lawyer Jim Cherry Jr. that:
- Political operative Joni Yosewine will mobilize her assistants to direct faxes and phone calls to City Hall using her restaurant contacts made thus far;
- Fred Sampson of the Restaurant Association and Scott Wexler of the United Hotel, Restaurant and Tavern Owners Association will be asked to contact the Mayor's office ;
- I will compile a list of all restaurants who have publicly opposed the bill (Angelo's list plus that of Yosewine) for submission to the Mayor.
I would also like to pursue the idea of a meeting between Bob Tisch and either Peter Powers or the Mayor.
[Note that several "Board of Director level" personnel from Philip Morris have already met with the Mayor and, I am told, were poorly received.
Also, "Bob" Tisch is actually Preston Robert Tisch, Owner of the New York Giants, who, with his brother Laurence Tisch, controlled Lorillard Tobacco, the Loews Group of theatres and hotels, and CBS Television. They were both also prominent New York philanthropists]
[4]
Other SourceWatch resources
External links
- Tobacco Institute, "Current relations: academics", TIMN0135560, undated.
<tdo>search_term=Yosewine</tdo> Categories:Tobacco industry projects and operations Categories:Corporate Strategy Categories: Industry-friendly experts Categories: Lobbyists
