Posted on 09/26/2009 4:11:25 AM PDT by don-o
Dan Fuchs said business was just starting to pick up at his kiosk in the Mall at Johnson City.
Fuchs’ business, the Graphic Edge, printed slogans and pictures on items such as coffee cups, bumper stickers and T-shirts. He said more than half of his business came from the sale of anti-Obama merchandise. Bumper stickers with slogans such as “SOS: Stop Obama’s Socialism,” “Nobama,” and “Chicago got the party, but the country got the hangover” were displayed around the small stand.
Now it appears Fuchs is out of business at the mall, but mall officials say this decision was not based upon political views.
Friday afternoon, Fuchs was handed a lease termination notice by mall officials and signed by Mall General Manager Tembra Aldridge. The letter states that the option to terminate the lease agreement is effective 11:59 p.m. today and that he must vacate the mall premises and remove his property before then.
(Excerpt) Read more at johnsoncitypress.com ...
Thanks, big surprise huh.
No worries. Uh, it's what we DO!
If you had trouble accessing JohnsonCityPress.com on Monday, you weren’t alone.
Heavy traffic volume generated by links on national Web sites to a Johnson City Press article about a vendor’s eviction from The Mall at Johnson City caused JohnsonCityPress.com to bog down through most of the day, making it difficult for visitors to connect.
Press Staff writer Brad Hicks wrote the story about the plight of Dan Fuchs, owner of a small printing company called the Graphic edge, which specializes in novelty items like bumper stickers, coffee mugs and T-shirts.
The number one seller for Fuchs was anti-Barack Obama merchandise, which accounted for over half of his merchandise. Fuchs was seeing an increase in business at his kiosk when The Mall gave him an eviction notice last Friday.
Fuchs said he was given no reason for this termination and was shocked and upset. Thursday evening, Fuchs said mall officials met with him and told him to take down the anti-Obama items on display by closing time or face immediate eviction.
“I was upset about it, of course,” he said Friday prior to receiving the notice. “That’s my livelihood.”
Now it appears Fuchs is out of business at the mall, but mall officials say this decision was not based upon political views.
Friday afternoon, Fuchs was handed a lease termination notice by mall officials and signed by Mall General Manager Tembra Aldridge. The letter stated that the option to terminate the lease agreement was effective 11:59 p.m. Friday and that he must vacate the mall premises and remove his property before then.
Forgot to ping you, Boss. Free Republic is why Drudge even found the story, I’ll bet a dollar.
http://renovomedia.com/news/no-more-offensive-displays-at-johnson-city-mall/
Mall now certified “offense free”
http://www.theadmonition.com/?p=1552
From Canada
A Johnson City Mall has evicted a man for selling anti-Obama merchandise after warning him to remove an anti-Obama sign. Dan Fuchs operated a kiosk in the Johnson City, Tennessee mall where he sold items such as shirts, mugs, and bumper stickers that could be customized by the customer.
John McCain Campaigns As Election Day Nears
Originally Fuchs had not intended on selling anti-Obama merchandise but had customer requests for anti-Obama t-shirts; at that point his business took off.
On Thursday night Dan Fuchs was told that he would need to take down his offensive anti-Obama merchandise or face immediate eviction. On Friday he was handed an eviction notice saying that his lease which wasn’t due to expire until the end of the year was being terminated.
Mall officials say that Fuchs had only been asked to sell pro-Obama merchandise alongside the anti-Obama merchandise. Fuchs says that that was not the case, that he never had a choice in the matter. The Johnson City Mall management says that they received complaints about the anti-Obama material for sale at Fuchs’ kiosk.
This is the second such incident involving a business owner and mall management over anti-Obama merchandise. Back in July The Free Market Warrior was kicked out of the Concord Mills Mall for selling anti-Obama merchandise.
Seems to be a huge problem with free speech in the marketplace in this country, these business owners have the right to sell anti-Obama (barring anything threatening) merchandise if they choose. Mall officials in both places appear to be taking the politically correct route by evicting tenants that are bringing in revenue. Not only is this unconstitutional, it’s bad business.
Looks like October 8th would be a great day to FReep the Mall at Johnson City.
Thanks for the updates! Good for Mr. Fuchs for pursuing this issue. We are where we are in this country because for decades we just tucked our tail between our legs and skulked away.
bump
Beinst I tried early yesterday morning and couldn't get through --- and they were down all day --- I'm betting the total number of people who tried was --- phenomenal.
Power of Drudge.
And (at the risk of repeating myself) “Power of Free Republic”.
100% correct
I think there is some sort of business expo at the mall on the 8th. What did John say about the 8th? I can’t pick that station up in my house.
Didn’t hear that part. You were done just as I pulled into the driveway.
I am the onwer of Graphic and would like to thank all for their comments. You can see us online at www.graphedgeonline.com
I am the owner of Graphic Edge You can see us onlin at www.graphicedgeonline.com
Hi Dan. I’m the guy who took the picture of the Halloween “costume” stocked at Spencer’s.
Lot’s of folks on this board were very interested in your situation and I believe we helped to bring the story to the national prominence it gained. We would be interested in what, if anything you are doing in regards to the mall’s breaking of your lease.
btw, I need some bumper stickers made and shall be in touch.
Left JC yesterday and am back in Connecticut. Not sure when we will be back, but I’ll drop you a line. Maybe we can get together and plot against those caring compasinate liberals. What kind of bumper stickers are you having made? I might be interested if they have to do with the Mall situation.
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