The Independent’s Perspective

 
The $1.5 Trillion Question: What Happens Nov. 23?
 Come Nov. 23, most grocers will have little on their minds besides serving holiday shoppers and maximizing the end-of-Thanksgiving sales. Meanwhile, in Washington, thoughts of drumsticks and stuffing will have to take a back seat as the primary focus will be on the 12-member deficit reduction commission which must produce at least $1.5 trillion in deficit-reducing...
12 Members of Congress Who Could Have a Profound Impact
 Back in early August, right before members of Congress hightailed it back to their districts for the August recess period, the Administration and Congress finally came to an agreement at the 11th hour to raise the nation’s debt limit. A major part of that agreement was the creation of a new 12-member “super committee”—formally known as the Joint...



Debit Swipe Fee Reforms: What Does it All Mean for Your Business?
 For nearly a decade merchants have been fighting to level the playing field and bring about reforms of debit and credit card interchange fees (often referred to as swipe fees)—fees that total over $50 billion a year. A little over a year ago merchants and consumers scored a major victory when an amendment authored by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to reform...
Grocers Take Notice: U.S. DOL Focuses on Supermarket Industry
 Hilda Solis, secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), famously proclaimed at the beginning of her term that “there is a new sheriff at the Department of Labor. The Department of Labor is back in the enforcement business.” The department has significantly increased its enforcement action in a number of areas, including OSHA and Wage and Hour...



Are You Prepared?
 The month of June marks the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, and forecasters are predicting a busy season, but hurricanes are only one of many events that can impact retail and wholesale operations. As we’ve seen earlier this year disaster can strike at any given moment. The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan literally wiped entire...
Grocers Care: National Moment of Remembrance
 America’s grocers have a long history of commitment to their country and communities, especially during challenging times. One of the ways N.G.A. recognizes this dedication is through our Grocers Care program, first created in 1982 with President Ronald Reagan, and continuing today with events such as the National Moment of Remembrance. On Memorial...



Obamacare: One Year Later
 arch 23 will mark the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), often referred to as “Obamacare.” In January 2011 the House of Representatives successfully passed H.R. 2 (245-189), which would repeal PPACA. However, the legislation is largely symbolic and has no chance for consideration in the Senate....
The 112th Congress Takes Office
 Now is the time to build relationships and educate new members. A number of important and encouraging pieces of legislation passed at the end of 2011 that will have positive implications for independent retailers and wholesalers: the favorable extension of the estate tax at a top rate of 35 percent with a $5 million exemption, an ­extension of the 2001...