New retail laws will be hard on businesses.

0:00 Speaker 1 With us today is Paul Zuba and he is with the Business Council of the State of New York, and he’s with us a lot lately because there’s so many things that he is concerned about business people in New York moving out. Paul Zuber, what is your concern this week?

0:21 Speaker 2 Well, my concern, my concern this week is something that’s I think a perfect picture of the problems that we have here in Aubany. Today, Governor Hokal had a press conference and in a press conference, she talked about her proposal to deal with retail theft in New York State.

0:41 So some of the things that she’s proposing is increasing penalty criminal penalties for third party and online stolen merchandise, increasing penalties for anyone who assaults a retail worker, providing additional funding the law enforcement and the district attorneys, as well as providing twenty five million to create a New York State Police smash and grab enforcement unit. Now, whether

1:07 or not that ultimately solves the issues revolving around retail theft, we can debate that. But that’s a positive step forward. That’s at least trying to find a solution to the problem. But then on the other side, and I had spoken to you about this before. We have a bill that comes out of the Senate which basically puts all the

1:31 blame on the retailer for retail crime. It basically makes the retailer pay for training, It makes the retailer it forces them to hire security guards, It forces them to put up cameras and all types of equipment. And the problem is, you know, we all want the workers who are in a retail setting to feel safe, but to

1:57 then all of a sudden make it as if it’s the retailer the owner’s fault that retail crime is occurring is nonsensical. Once again, what we’re going to do is if this bill were to pass, is we’re going to place under burdens on small businesses. We’re going to place under burden on even large businesses. And what are those

2:19 businesses going to do? They’re going to pass it on to the consumer. And quite frankly, there are federal provisions and recommendations that OSHA has that deals with these things. I think any retail employer will tell you the first thing they tell their employees is if anything happens, you give them the money or you give them the merchandise.

2:39 Do not fight with somebody who comes into your store. But it’s a perfect example of how we have one person and the governor at least, trying to find a solution to a problem, and then another just trying to place the burden as if it’s a burden, it’s business is fault that this is going on. And you know,

3:01 quite frankly, the reason that the legislature put that bill in is because there is a union, the retail Workers Union, which is putting political pressure on the legislature to introduce this bill. And it’s a perfect example of the problems that we’re having in New York State. Instead of doing things that are common sensical, doing things that have no

3:25 common sense to them. That’s the right.

3:28 Speaker 1 And there are so many problems in our city or state. And this is going to be on top of congestion pricing, which again the retailer is going to add back in New York City and the city itself, the retailer is going to add back to the coest of goods and the customer is going to pay for everything.

3:47 Speaker 2 Absolutely, and I’ll give you one more that creates a problem for retailers. You know, we’ve decided that were. By twenty thirty five, everything is going to be electric vehicles. So when you talk to the people who run the Motor Truck Association and the people in those associations, will they tell me all the time, Hey, Paul, you know

4:06 what the big problem for us is? And I say what? The trucks weigh so much that they can they have to carry less payload in a truck. So therefore, maybe what one truck used to be able to carry merchandise to a retailer, it might now take two trucks to carry that same amount of merchandise to a retailer. So

4:28 what’s going to happen when that occurs, Well, there’s going to be two drivers, there’s going to be two trucks. Guess what the cost is going to be passed on to the retailer, who will then pass it on to the consumer. And to your point about congestion pricing, it’s something that I’ve said over and over again as I’ve

4:45 sat on your show is the first thing that we have to understand is that the world has changed and how business operates. You no longer need to be in New York City or New York State to do business.

5:00 You start telling people that it’s going to cost them more money to get into the city. Then guess what they’re going to do. They’ll just work from home. They’ll work from their apartment in Connecticut or their condo in Florida.

5:14 They just won’t go into the city. And once again, we’re tying our hands behind our back. We are in a competition with every other state in the United States. We need to understand and realize we are in a competition.

5:29 And when we increase costs, guess what we lose that competition.

5:34 Speaker 1 Paul zuber And, Senior Vice President of the Business Council of the State of New York. Thank you so much fulfilling in all business people, and hopefully common sense will prevail.

5:45 Speaker 2 I hope so, John and you have a great day. You too,