Anne Landman's Collection
Re: Help. Santa Fe
Abstract
This 1999 internal Philip Morris (PM) email describes PM's exhaustive behind-the-scene efforts to defeat a local smoke-free ordinance proposed in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1999. The email reveals many of PM's strategies for fighting these measures while remaining unseen. Some tactics include:
1) Introducing many confusing amendments to the ordinance and getting a city council member to carry them.
2) Claiming afterwards that the ordinance is now so complicated that it must be postponed, sent to a work session or requires extra study.
3) Inserting ventilation language into the measure.
4) Having employees of Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds flood city hall with calls against the ordinance.
5) Placing letters to the editor and op-eds in local papers.
6) Placing petitions in bars and restaurants,
7) Involving Philip Morris's front group, the National Smokers Alliance (NSA) in protesting the ordinance,
8) Keeping lobbyists from multiple cigarette manufacturing companies "on the ground" in the town where such a measure is being considered.
The email shows that even this gargantuan level of corporate interference can't decrease the popularity of smoke-free laws. The email indicates that despite all their efforts, the cigarette companies were still losing in Santa Fe:
"Councilors say they have been getting overwhelmed with calls, but still the yes calls outweigh the no. Both PM and RJR are calling..."
The measure ultimately passed in Santa Fe despite all the clandestine political interference from cigarette companies.
Fields
- Quotes
From: Corwin, Ginny Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 4:28 PM To: Goldman; Rochelle; Culley; Liz; Maheras; John Cc: Mihas, Tracy; Gross, Deane; Ostern, Eric Subject: RE: Help! Santa Fe
Just finished a conference call. Current vote appears to be 5 to 3. One has offered to carry amendments but wants to be able to vote for the ordinance. Amendments to consider include:
1. airport - very little commercial traffic, hence, low priority 2. adjust 25% hotel rooms upward 3. I will send some ventilation language 4. disparity regarding truck stops
We talked about making this list of inequities very lengthy, taking it to the above mentioned councilor and asking her to take it to the mayor to request postponement in lieu of a worksession to review proposed amendments.
The chair of the SF restaurant association is also meeting with the mayor on Monday and will make the same request.
Councilors say they have been getting overwhelmed with calls, but still the yes calls outweigh the no. Both PM and RJR are calling. We have also placed several LTEs, more are going in; an op ed is being hand delivered today. SFRA has run newspaper ad (refused any design/text help). Petitions are located in bars and restaurants; NSA has their postcard program going; B & W has a lobbyist on the ground in addition to our lobbyist and PR guy; B&W also has a field person going restaurant door to door...
Focussing on business, liabilities imposed on the business owner, and inequities built into the ordinance-- server/restaurteur takes on liability; unfair competition allowing truck stops to be exempted; fraternal orgs reference is unclear; high percentage is already nonsmoking, etc.
Pointing all this confusion out to the mayor may be enough to call for a work/'study sesstion. We have a full program going on here--but it doesn't look too good.
- Author
- Corwin, Ginny (PM Lobbyist, State Gov't Relations, Colorado, c. 1998)Ginny Corwin is also registered as a lobbying for Philip Morris in Colorado. Prior to working for PM directly, Ginny Corwin served as a consultant to Philip Morris promoting their Accommodation program.
- Recipient
- Goldman, R.
- Culley, L.
- Maheras, J.
- Region
- United States
- (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
- Named Organization
- B&W, Brown & Williamson
- NSA (National Smoker's Alliance)1994 National Smoker's Alliance 1994 - to present. Front group formed by Philip Morris Tobacco Company to oppose smoke-free laws without its corporate involvement being detected.
- Philip Morris
- RJR, R.J.Reynolds
- Santa Fe Restaurant Association
- Litigation
- FEDA/Produced
- Operation/Project
- Accommodation
- Type
- EMAI, E-MAIL
- Subject
- legislation
- legislator
- secondhand smoke
- Corporate strategy
- political interference
- Political participation
- local ordinance
Document Images
