Hotel owners in New York City have agreed on a long-term contract with hotel housekeepers that will not only give them raises, provide fully paid health coverage and offer larger pension contributions, they will also receive personal panic buttons.

The move comes after French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of sexually assaulting a worker in Sofitel’s New York location last year.

Under the proposed contract certain employees will be equipped with “devices to be carried on their persons at work that they can quickly and easily activate to effectively summon prompt assistance to their location.”

Housekeepers in New York can expect the devices to be delivered within a years time to housekeepers, room-service staff and attendants who stock minibars.

Housekeepers In New York City To Receive Panic Buttons, Raises, Free Health Insurance is a post from: The Inquisitr

Anne Hathaway spent some time on Saturday night to celebrate her engagement to fiancé Adam Shulman as the 29-year-old actress celebrated her upcoming marriage.

The party wasn’t by any means a small time event with 125-people in attendance at the Housing Works Bookstore Café in downtown Manhattan.

Unlike many Hollywood type parties Hathaway strayed away from inviting Hollywood’s elite and instead only asked family and friends to attend the engagement party.

The lack of celebrity guests doesn’t really surprise us, unlike many Hollywood pairings that seem “made for photos” Hathaway truly seems smitten with her beau, stating in November “we hit if off immediately” while adding that she is “very much in love with him.”

Without her normal “insiders” in attendance details about the actresses engagement party are pretty sparse.

Do you think Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman are in it for the long haul or is this another doomed Hollywood pairing?

Anne Hathaway Throws Engagement Party In New York City, No Hollywood Heavyweight In Attendance is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you look around New York City you’ll find the NYPD logo emblazoned on everything from hats and tie clips to jackets and coffee mugs, where you won’t find the logo is on the clothing and accessories for off-duty New York Police Officers.

On Tuesday police chief Ray Kelly issued a new ruling which forbids the city’s nearly 35,000 police officers from wearing any non-issued clothing with the letters NYPD.

The ruling comes after an officer was spotted wearing an NYPD T-Shirt that read:

“Kill Them All and Let God Sort It Out.”

Under the official ruling officers are forbidden to wear ”any item of apparel which contains a Department logo or shield, or in any way identifies its wearer with the New York City Police Department unless approved by the Uniform and Equipment Review Committee, prior to being worn by a member of the service, uniformed or civilian, on or off-duty.”

In a rather dramatic response to the ban one NYPD officer told dnainfo:

“The NYPD logo is now on a par with al-Qaeda and bin Laden. We can’t display them.”

In the meantime any NYPD officer who current had NYPD keepsake is violating a direct order.

Do you think police chief Ray Kelly’s ruling is a bit silly given the fact that one person out of 35,000 caused the initial reaction?

NYPD Police Officers Are Only People Not Allowed To Buy NYPD Merchandise is a post from: The Inquisitr

Several years ago Los Angeles resident Cleo Berry was living in New York when he was paid $500 to participate in a photo shoot and now a photograph from that shoot has been altered to play off the mans weight in a set of New York City billboards focused on the dangers of obesity.

The 27-year-old man was photographed by Morten Smidt who turned around and sold the world to stock photo company ImageSource. The stock photo company then sold the photograph to New York City’s Department of Health, who in turn altered the photo by removing Berry’s right leg for an anti-diabetes campaign.

Speaking to Yahoo News  Berry said of the first time he discovered the ad:

“I cried at my computer screen for, like, a minute.” and “I said: ‘Oh my gosh, they even gave me crutches. Come on, people.’ ”

In the meantime the New York City health department do anything illegal in altering the photograph since Berry signed a waiver at the time of the photo shoot, however they essentially lied to anyone examining the advertisement by providing a “fake” diabetes patients with a leg that was digitally amputated.

In defending their actions John Kelly, a spokesman for the health department said in a statement:

“This issue isn’t about one actor but rather the 700,000 New Yorkers who struggle with diabetes, which kills 1,700 people a year and causes amputations in another 3,000,” and “Advertising to warn the public about health concerns saves lives, and we will continue our efforts to warn New Yorkers about diabetes.”

Berry, an actor by trade is worried that it could affect his career, noting, “I’ve always wanted my photo in an ad all over the city, but I was hoping it would be for a TV show or something, not — this,” Berry said.

In an attempt to drum up some positive advertising, Berry has offered to lower his usual acting rate to any soda company willing to use  his unaltered image for one of their campaigns.

Joking about the image he says of his soda campaign offer:

“I’ll sing and dance for them and I won’t charge an arm and a leg.”

Do you think the New York Department of Health should have found a real diabetes amputee to feature in their ad or was their point still valid based on the digitally altered photo?

Overweight Man “Shocked” By Altered Photo Of Himself In New York City Health Ad is a post from: The Inquisitr

Officials at the United Nations offices in New York City were shocked recently when 35.5 pounds of cocaine was accidentally shipped to their office by Mexican drug traffickers who failed to properly fill out shipping labels for their counterfeit UN bag packages.

With a street value of nearly $2 million the cocaine was concealed inside fake UN bags which were sent to the organizations New York headquarters after the carrier DHL saw the UN logo at their Cincinnati, Ohio center while the packages contained no actual shipping address or return to sender information.

 Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne of the New York Police Department told Yahoo News:

“It is my understanding that because there was no addressee, the DHL just thought well that’s the UN symbol so we should ship it on to UN headquarters and let them figure out who it was supposed to go to.”

The moment the bags arrived at the UN security staff recognize them as “obvious fakes” and inspected them on January 16. Inside the bags contained 14 hard cover books which had been hollowed out to make space for the cocaine.

In the meantime officials said the bags looked nothing like official UN carrier bags but instead were made out of flour sacks or something of that nature.

The drugs have been confiscated but with no return address it’s likely the culprits will get away with their crime, although I would suspect that someone within the cartel has been killed given their inability to place a simple shipping label on an illegal $2 million package.

35 Pounds Worth Of Cocaine Accidentally Shipped To United Nations In New York City is a post from: The Inquisitr

At least 1,489 New York City Police Officers were trained to fight crime in America’s largest city with the aid of an anti-Muslim film.

The training video, titled The Third Jihad was funded by a nonprofit group and features Muslim terrorists shooting Christians and then portrayed an Islamic flag flying outside the White House.

As the video carries on the narrator states that Islam’s “true agenda” for America is to ”infiltrate and dominate” the country.

Reports of The Third Jihad actually began surfacing in 2011 at which time a top police officials said only a few NYPD officers had screened the video however a Freedom of Information Act request showed that possibly more than 1,500 officers have since been trained with assistance from the anti-Muslim video.

As the videos name suggests we are living in the “third Jihad” which followed the first that occurred after Muhammad’s time and a second that occurred in the Middle Ages.

In fending off comments about mainstream Muslims the narrator states:

“Americans are being told that many of the mainstream Muslim groups are also moderate” and ”When in fact if you look a little closer, you’ll see a very different reality. One of their primary tactics is deception.”

Shockingly the narrator is himself a Muslim.

The film has been shown to officers for up to a year and has included patrol officers, detectives, lieutenants and sergeants.

News of the racist video tape couldn’t come at a worst time for the NYPD who were recently caught receiving assistance from the CIA in order to spy on Muslims. The FBI has also recently been shown to use anti-Muslim training videos as part of their trainee materials.

Here’s the trailer for The Third Jihad:

Do you think it’s right for any agency in the United States to outwardly target a religious group when the very formation of the United States was based on freedom of religion for everyone?

1500 NYPD Officers Trained With Anti-Muslim Propaganda Film is a post from: The Inquisitr

A New York City police officer committed suicide on Thursday night while on-duty. According to reports the officer had been in a phone argument with his girlfriend.

Local residents heard a gunshot and when going out to investigate they found the boy of the 28-year-old officer on the street in Queens.

According to the New York Daily News the officer and his partner were called to the area after receive a call about several car break-ins.

According to a police department insider:

“He got out of his car and he’s on the phone with somebody,” and “He puts the gun in his mouth and fires.”

An onlookers says the mans partner ran to the police cruiser to call for help but ultimately a police car rushed the officer away “because there wasn’t an ambulance.”

The man mad it to the hospital but died shortly afterwards. Police say they are still investigating the suicide.

Responding to what they had witnessed one resident said:

“It’s such a beautiful block,” one resident said. “It’s probably the prettiest block in Hollis Hills. This is the first time in 20 years I’ve ever seen something like this happen. It’s awful.”

The police officers girlfriend has not been revealed or offered any insight into the topic of their argument at this time.

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

New York Police Officer Commits Suicide While On-Duty is a post from: The Inquisitr

Whether you’re from New York City or you can’t stand people from the Big Apple a new video inspired by the YouTube hit Shit Girls Say has jumped on the web titled Shit New Yorkers Say and it’s pretty much dead on for every New York City loving resident we’ve ever spoken to.

The 2:42 piece was written by Eliot Glazer and starts Eliot and Ilana Glazer.

In the video Eliot and Ilana walk around New York City spouting off some of the most routine and annoying things people say in the city such as:

“It’s a ‘law’ that taxis must go to Brooklyn” and they get excited when a local news anchor walks by but then exclaim they are proud not to own a TV.

One of my favorite lines:

“You read the Post? Like not ironicall?”

Check out the video for yourself:

I love donuts! Are you from New York City? Are there any overused sayings/cliches they left off this list that you care to share?

Sh*t New Yorkers Say Goes Viral, Makes Us Giggle is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just when you thought you had heard it all!

A New York City discount store is really feeling the pain for its decision to sell children’s toys.  Khaled Mohammed, manager of the 99¢ Target store in Flatlands ran afoul of a New York City ordinance which bans the sale of toy guns.

The punishment?  $30,000 in fines which have been affirmed by the district appeals court.

the law was created by the city in order to prevent cops from shooting kids that carry around the fake weapons and to prevent criminals from using them to commit crimes.  It is really easy for retailers to get around the law by making sure the toy guns are painted a bright color.

Mohamed and store owner Jamal Ahmed had relied on the manufacturer of the toys, JMD All Star of New Jersey, that the toys were legal for sale. What they didn’t know was that the store had been written up for the same offense before Ahmed bought it. This resulted in Ahmed missing a hearing and the $30,000 fine was levied.

He got the division of Consumer Affairs to reopen the case and a settlement was reached for $5,400. Ahmed couldn’t afford to pay it so he asked for another hearing where he argued that no reasonable person could mistake the toys for the real thing.  The hearing officer disagreed and so did an appeals judge and they reinstated the original fine.

Ahmed says he will probably have to close the store over what he refers to as “a really, really abusive penalty”.

A Consumer Affairs spokesman defended the law saying,

“Realistic-looking imitation guns are illegal and dangerous, and just last week, a 15-year-old in Texas was killed while holding one of these guns.”

Do you think this is a realistic punishment or dramatically unfair?

New York Store Fined $30,000 For Selling Toys is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Giant rat was found in a Bronx Foot Locker a few months ago, but the photos of this beast have gone viral and are popping up all over the Net.

The Huffington Post has said the origins of the pictures are unknown, but they consulted Dr. Robert S. Voss, the Curator of Mammals at The American Museum of Natural History in New York and he said “There’s no way it’s a common sewer rat. I’m 90 percent certain that it’s a a Gambian pouched rat.”

The rat was most likely brought to the US at some point as a pet.  However, since the early 2000′s the import of African Rodents has been banned since an outbreak of monkey pox.

Voss further said that the rat may look like it could bite your head off, but in the end they are very playful and docile.

Foot Locker had no comment on the issue.

What would you do if you ran into a Giant Rat?  Run for the hills or try to kill it?

[Photo] Giant Rat Found in Foot Locker Bigger Than a Dog is a post from: The Inquisitr

It was previously reported all over the internet that Hollywood couple Jenifer Aniston and Justin Theroux were planning a super secret quickie wedding in Cabo, Mexico.  Well times they are a changin as the couple has now changed their plans due to the leak.  Supposedly, according to Hollywood Life, they will be tying the knot in New York City .

According to a source who dished out the plans to OK Magazine, the wedding will go a little something like this. The couple has already picked a location and have written their own vows.  After their nuptials in a private ceremony they will be having a private shindig with their friends, including Jennifer’s parents this time.  Some of the rumored guests are Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Chelsea Handler, “yoga guru Mandy Ingber” and Andrea Bendewald.

Jennifer will be sporting a brand new custom dress made by designer Carolina Herrera while her hair is going to be done by her long time stylist. Justin’s buddy, Terry Richardson, will be on hand to take all the photos. The reception will be a gorgeous shindig where Cristal will be the beverage of choice and the caviar will will served by the truckload.

The couple plans on heading to Mexico for the honeymoon, where they are going to spend some much need time alone.  The source told OK Magazine that  “Jen’s in a super place at the moment. She’s on an all-time high,”. I am sure Justin is having a blast too, considering his wife to be was just named “The Hottest Woman Ever To Live”.

I can promise that I know who will not be on the guest list…Angelina Jolie.

What do you think of Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux’s pending nuptuals?

Report: Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux Planning to Elope is a post from: The Inquisitr

A staffer at the New York Times had an “oops” moment on Wednesday when they accidentally sent an email to 9 million New York Times readers instead of the few hundred the email was meant for.

At first the New York Times called the emails accidental “spam” but later said the message was only meant to go out to a few hundred people who had recently chosen to cancel its home delivery service. Instead the email was sent to anyone who had ever provided an email to the New York Times for any reason.

Almost immediately after the New York Times made its announcement fears began to surface that the “spam” came after recipients’ security was breached by a hacker, allowing them to steal user information.

The security breach concern was valid as the company’s email provider Epsilon had been hacked earlier in the year, a fact that led many industry analysts to suspect that the new spam messages were part of a phishing scheme.

A spokeswomen for the paper quickly revealed:

“We regret that the error was made, but no one’s security has been compromised.”

The New York Times has apologized and promises that no information provided to the company was used erroneously.

Here’s a copy of the exact message that was sent out to readers:

From: The New York Times
To:
Subject: Important information regarding your subscription
Date: Dec 28, 2011 12:03 PM

Dear Home Delivery Subscriber,

Our records indicate that you recently requested to cancel your home delivery subscription. Please keep in mind when your delivery service ends, you will no longer have unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps.

We do hope you’ll reconsider.

As a valued Times reader we invite you to continue your current subscription at an exclusive rate of 50% off for 16 weeks. This is a limited-time offer and will no longer be valid once your current subscription ends.*

Continue your subscription and you’ll keep your free, unlimited digital access, a benefit available only for our home delivery subscribers. You’ll receive unlimited access to NYTimes.com on any device, full access to our smartphone and iPad® apps, plus you can now share your unlimited access with a family member.†

To continue your subscription call 1-877-698-0025 and mention code 38H9H (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. E.D.T.).

Did you receive an email from the New York Times?

New York Times Accidentally Emails 9 Million People, Promises It Isn’t Spam is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just one year into his governorship of New York and already Andrew Cuomo is causing waves, announcing this week that he wants to bring casino’s to the big Apple.

Cuomo will begin working with lawmakers next week in an attempt to add a amendment to the New York constitution which will in turn legalize the building and operation of casino’s.

Speaking to the New York Daily News Cuomo revealed:

“I’m not excluding any locations at this time.” While he did mention Queens over Manhattan he also point out that “Albany is [also] a real location. Buffalo is a real location.”

While casino’s bring with them increased crime and compulsive gambling Cuomo says the economic advantage to the state and directly to New York City far outweighs any negative impact the casino’s may attract.

With the money New York would be able to rebuild many of its failing roads, bridges and state agencies which have suffered after years of declining budgets.

To push his new agenda Cuomo used part of his interview time to focus on some of his various achievements in the last year including the states legalization of gay marriage, the state’s very first property tax cap, an on-time state budget that cut spending and new ethics reforms.

According to the New York Times the state could take in upwards of $684 million from electronic gambling at the Aqueduct racetrack and other “racinos” before new structures are even built.

In unrelated Cuomo news he also ruled out a 2016 White House campaign during his interview, noting:

“Not at all,” he says. “I’ve been around too long. I’ve heard too much talk. I’ve seen the movie too many times.”

Do you think openings in New York and New York City is a good idea or do the pitfalls outweigh the additional income raised by the state through taxation?

[Image via lev radin / Shutterstock.com]

Andrew Cuomo Wants Casino’s In New York City is a post from: The Inquisitr

Alec Baldwin won’t be running for the New York City mayoral position anytime in the future, according to the Words With Friends loving actor he simply isn’t “horny” for the office like other candidates who want the job.

Baldwin said during his weekly WNYC podcast:

“I’ve lost my appetite”

He goes on to add that other candidates are ”like a guy on a date that you can tell he just can’t wait to get his hand up your blouse before even the lights go out in the theater.”

He then reveals his own selfish motives:

“Give this up for what?” he said. “I give up money and fame and position and success; I give up this wonderful life I have now in exchange for the chance to ‘really change things?’… Yeah, I’m not quite sure you can anymore.”

He then goes on to hint at a continuing role on the hit CBS show 30 Rock. While he told the Associated Press in October that he was ready to leave the show he now says sticking with 30 Rock would be better than a mayoral position.

One thing Alec Baldwin won’t be doing in the near future? Flying from city to city aboard an American Airlines flight. The actor was recently kicked off a flight when he because rude to flight crew and started calling them inappropriate names after they asked him to turn off his Smartphone in the middle of a Words With Friends game.

Do you think Alec Baldwin would make a good New York City mayor?

[Image via RoidRanger / Shutterstock.com]

Alec Baldwin Can’t Get Horny Enough To Run For New York City Mayor is a post from: The Inquisitr

It is safe say that you’re rich, very rich, if you donated $350 million to Cornell University to construct a new technology-based satellite campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

The new campus is expected to generate an additional $1.4 billion in tax revenue to New York City, 20,000 construction jobs, and 30,000 new jobs once the school is in operations.

The donor remained anonymous until The New York Times unmasked him with a profile.

The very rich guy is Charles F. Feeney, an 80-year-old Cornell alumnus who made tons of money with his stake at the company he co-founded, the Duty Free Shoppers Group. He sold his stake for $2.47 billion in 1996 to LVMH Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton. Since then, he has taken on anonymously donating to different institutions.

Even before the $350 million donation to Cornell, Feeney has already donated more than $600 million to the university. The latest one is the largest, so far. He has given $280,000 to Sinn Fein, $125 million to University of California-San Francisco to build a medical center that would treat children and women with cancer, and €46m to the University of Limerick in Ireland, among others. He said he;s been donating his money because he “simply decided I had enough money.”

Despite his riches though, Feeney, a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is a known frugal. He does not own a car and a house. He flies coach. He even wears a $15 watch.

His goal in life is to become broke before his own death.

How about you, what is your goal in life?

Cornell’s $350 Million Donor Does Not Own Car, House is a post from: The Inquisitr

Filmmakers on the hit NBC series Law & Order: SVU were forced to shut down production on the TV series this past Friday after more than 100 Occupy Wall Street protesters stormed the set.

The show, which uses ripped from the headlines plots to tell it’s story had staged a Zuccotti Park type encampment and according to protesters they though it was exploiting their cause.

As they stormed the set one protesters told the New York Daily News:

“This is not us …We are not part of corporate TV America.”

After the scene ensued the city eventually rescinded the shows filming permit to the cheers of protesters as one of them announced.

“We made it so that they could not exploit us and that’s awesome.”

A short standoff between police and protesters occurred during the incident but ended without any trouble between both parties and the crowd eventually left.

I’m all for protesters standing up for their rights but shutting down entire businesses in which people rely on for their own jobs is hardly standing up against the financial backers that put America in it’s current situation.

Do you think the Occupy Wall Street protesters are taking their protests too far by closing down film productions? Less we forget Hollywood is a very liberal industry, one that they should want on their side, not fighting against them.

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Shut Down ‘Law & Order: SVU’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Billionaire Manhattan socialite Candia Fisher was the financial victim of a hacker this week after her email was hacked and $550,000 was wired from her personal bank accounts to an account in Australia.

According to the New York Post Fisher conducts almost all of her business via email which in turn made it simple to find personal details, including banking passwords, account numbers and other information needed to transfer the funds.

After receiving access to her email account the hacker began the Australian transfer which continued until a banking authority noticed the strange transfers and alerted a clueless Candia Fisher.

At this time it’s not clear if any money can be recovered however the damage could have been far more severe given the billions of dollars that were at stake.

This isn’t the first time a member of the Fisher Brothers real estate clan have been robbed of their wealth, in the 1960s a group of armed men broke into the Manhattan apartment of Candia’s mother and stole millions of dollars in jewels.

Socialite may be just the right word for Candia as she’s obviously not the brains of the family’s operation given her inability to understand that sending personal banking info through email is ridiculous.

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

New York Socialite Has $550,000 Stolen By Email Hacker is a post from: The Inquisitr

A recent vodka billboard ad in New York City has been pulled after a flood of complaints were lodged that the ad was anti-semitic.

In the ad the billboard read:

“Christmas Quality, Hanukkah Pricing.”

In their complain the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said:

“In a crude and offensive way of trying to make a point that their vodka is high quality and inexpensive, the billboards evoke a Jewish holiday to imply something that is cheap and of lesser value when compared to the higher value of a Christian holiday.”

The ADL goes on to state that the billboard “reinforces anti-Semitic stereotypes.”

In defending the ad the creator (a Jewish man himself) says that it was celebrating the “understated” holiday of Hanukkah. The creator tells CNN:

“As a Jew growing up, the only thing we could say was we had eight nights, and Christmas had only day, so we had eight days for the price of one,” and ”With our brand, our message is you can get more for less, eight nights versus one, and we don’t need to wrap ourselves in fancy packaging.”

Do you buy the ad creators reasoning behind why the ad stated what it did? As a Jewish man he should have realized immediately that the billboard would spark Jewish spending stereotypes.

[Billboard Image via ADL]

Anti-Semitic Vodka Billboard Pulled After Sparking Outrage is a post from: The Inquisitr

A bomb plot to kill police and U.S. troops returning home in New York has been foiled after police arrested a 27-year-old ‘al-Qa-ida sympathiser.’

Jose Pimentel of Manhattan, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, is accused of conspiracy dating back to October 2010. His charge sheet includes first-degree criminal possession of a weapon as a crime of terrorism, and soliciting support for a terrorist act. At his arraignment late yesterday, he was ordered held without bail.

Pimentel was arrested yesterday, and police say he was ready to carry out his plan to “bomb police patrol cars and also postal facilities as well as targeted members of our armed services returning from abroad.”

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said:

“We had to act quickly yesterday because he was in fact putting this bomb together. He was drilling holes and it would have been not appropriate for us to let him walk out the door with that bomb.”

New York Michael Bloomberg told journalists that Pimentel had acted alone, and that he was driven by terrorist propaganda and his resentment of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq:

“He appears to be a total lone wolf. He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad.”

Bloomberg added that this was the thirteenth attempted terrorist attack on New York in the ten years since 9/11. No attack has been successful to date, while Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad is serving life for attempting to detonate a car bomb in Times Square in 2010.

Each day, the NYPD dedicates about 1,000 of the city’s 35,000 officers to counterterrorism operations.

Bomb Plot Foiled in New York City, Police Arrest Suspect is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York City officials have filed a lawsuit against Chinatown and Staten Island cigarette shops that were caught selling “roll your own” cigarettes to customers.

Both “Island Smokes” stores were allowing customers to roll their own cigarettes which in turn allowed them to operate in a “grey area” in which no cigarette package taxes needed to be collected and they are only required to charge the lower “loose tobacco” tax. By allowing customers to roll their own cigarette packs the store was able to charge less than $5 per pack.

Under city and state laws the story should be charging $5.85 per pack in cigarette taxes which pushes the cost of most cigarette packs in New York City well above $10.

According to the city’s lawsuit:

“By selling illegally low-priced cigarettes defendants not only interfere with the collection of city cigarette taxes, they also impair the city’s smoking cessation programs and impair individual efforts at smoking reduction, thereby imposing higher health care costs on the city and injuring public health.”

Arguing for his clients choice to sell tobacco based products attorney Jonathan Behrins told the New York Times:

“We are not producing cigarettes for resale … We are selling the contents that produce the cigarette … and it’s up to the user to make them.”

Mr. Behrins claims the process is like “making your own beer.”

The city says it’s not quite what the cigarette chain would have people believe:

“When you go to a salad bar, they sell you a salad, not a salad assembly process” and “When customers walk out of these stores, they have finished cigarettes and they bought them in those stores. The stores also have signage that calls them a discount cigarettes shop.”

Currently customers pay $6 for a tin of cigarettes while refills with the same tin cost just $4.50.

According to shop owners their tobacco products which include regular, menthol and other options are “all natural” with non of the additives found in premade cigarettes.

Do you believe the store is skirting established New York City taxes by selling tobacco in the way they are?

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

New York City Sues Cigarette Shop For Selling Low-Tax “Roll Your Own” Tobacco is a post from: The Inquisitr