Philip Morris USA will relocate its NYC headquarters to area in June

Richmond Times-Dispatch ^ | March 5, 2003 | Bob Rayner

[NittanyLion]

What was that about NYC cigarette taxes generating additional revenue? Your loss, our gain Mr. Bloomberg.

[Ligeia]

McCollum, the Richmond mayor, called the company a child of Virginia:

"We raised you well. You went to the big city. Of course, they abused you. Now you're coming back home to papa. And just like the prodigal son, we've prepared the fatted calf for you."

Too funny!

[doosee]

"We raised you well. You went to the big city. Of course, they abused you. Now you're coming back home to papa. And just like the prodigal son, we've prepared the fatted calf for you."

Incredibly innappropriate thing to say in a public statement. If PM was smart, they would keep right on heading south past Richmond as they may be going from bad to worse.

[patton]

Welcome Home, PM!

[Glenn]

A nice 'screw you' to Bloomie. Love it.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

McCollum, the Richmond mayor, called the company a child of Virginia: "We raised you well. You went to the big city. Of course, they abused you. Now you're coming back home to papa. And just like the prodigal son, we've prepared the fatted calf for you."

Hilarious, considering the city's anti-business, pro-welfare stance. PM won't be in the city limits anyway; they're moving to the old Reynolds complex in Henrico County.

[GirlShortstop]

Donley, the anti-smoking activist, took a dimmer view.

She said Philip Morris has practiced "economic blackmail" in the past by making big contributions to political campaigns and threatening to cut jobs or leave whenever state or local policies are proposed that the company does not like.

Yeah! Just look at where their corruption got them in their former NYC home!    </sarcasm OFF>     I envy the Virginians.

[putupon]

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!!!

Smoke 'um if ya' got 'um!!!

[NittanyLion]

Incredibly innappropriate thing to say in a public statement. If PM was smart, they would keep right on heading south past Richmond as they may be going from bad to worse.

I wouldn't have said it, but of course he's right. NYC did abuse cigarette makers, and Henrico County and Virginia have put together $33 million in tax breaks and incentives.

[Blennos]

Greetings Ligeia. Blennis remains at his post here in Richmond

This development will surely help property values here. We live in Richmond but have as little to do with the downtown area and city government as possible.

[Constitution Day]

A nice 'screw you' to Bloomie. Love it.

Bump to that!

[OpusatFR]

You have Bloomberg. We have the god-emperor pretender, Marky-Mark Warner.

He tried to get a change in Virginia's term limit for Governors. You only have one three year term. You can run again, but not consecutively. Works very well for us. Just like a democrat to try to change the rules.

[Just another Joe]

BWAHAHAHA!
New York City lets Bloominidiot drive away a major corporate presence with his asinine smoking policies.
Serves the NYC council right for letting Bloominidiot push the new 'non-smoking New York' laws/regulations through.

[Corin Stormhands]

He tried to get a change in Virginia's term limit for Governors. You only have one three year term.

Actually it's one four-year term. And every Governor tries to change it (Gilmore and I think Allen included).

But that doesn't make me think any more of Governor Warner

(2 years. 10 months. Get out of Jerry's house!)

[Corin Stormhands]

Richmond city government makes Marion Barry look ethical.

[Just another Joe]

Check this one out folks.
PM tells NYC to go smoke in the back of the building.

[finnman69]

It has nothing to do with cigarette taxes. it has to do with oppressive buisness taxes, real estate taxes,and the cost of doing buisness in NYC. However the most likely reason for the move is Philip Morris is rebranding itself as Altria and thereby trying to distance itself from its association with cigarettes.

Philip Morris Building. 42nd Street & Park Avenue

[Commiewatcher]

"Serves the NYC council right for letting Bloominidiot push the new 'non-smoking New York' laws/regulations through."

Wait until Bloominidiot and that council come out with those fatty food (the next target) laws/regulations/taxes. When they start telling people how many cheeseburgers they are allowed to eat maybe Altria will move Kraft foods the hell out of there too.

[iceskater]

Richmond city government makes Marion Barry look ethical.

I don't know if I go that far, CS. I mean, Richmond does have Saad El Amin and his indictment on federal tax evasion charges to the tune of $700k (whose wife is testifying against him - talk about cold!). Then there's Chuck Richardson and his heroin bust. Then there's the previous mayor, the church minister, who did something illegal and went to jail (I am totally blanking on his name and his crimes). All this in a city much, much smaller than DC. I say we're holding our own in the lack-of-ethics department.

I'm happy to be living in Henrico after all this.

[NittanyLion]

You have Bloomberg. We have the god-emperor pretender, Marky-Mark Warner.

Actually, I live in Chesterfield County. So I'm saddled with Warner as well, although I suspect he's a far sight better than Ed Rendell...