How did two blue-collar beer vendors from Brooklyn find themselves in the middle of an immigration imbroglio in Arizona?
Back to 1990. John Ferolito and Don Vultagio wanted to expand their horizons. They followed the "Snapple” business model and created a beverage company that would eventually grab a 33% share of a billion dollar market.
Forward to 2010. Although their beverages offer consumers thirst-satisfying alternatives, an ill-informed public, egged on by cynical political strategists, want to satisfy a different kind of thirst – for revenge. The two Brooklyn buddies may be fighting to save their company.
John and Don are caught in the cross-hairs of a madcap boycott to punish businesses, sports franchises, maybe even Indian reservations on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Why? Because the State of Arizona wants to stem the tide of illegals and actually has the stones to pass laws to do it!
Foolishness fuels itself. Along comes Ed Reyes and the L.A. City Council who fuel the flames further yesterday by voting 13 to 1 to boycott Arizona for taking the initiative to protect its borders from intruders.
Ironies abound. California has immigration laws similar to Arizona’s but Reyes couldn’t be bothered with this detail. Mainly because he didn’t know it. Another irony is John and Don’s company, “AriZona Tea,” is feeling the pinch even though they’re based in New York. Of course, rampaging boycotters couldn’t be bothered with that detail either – anything perceived as Arizonian was fair game.
One of America’s awe-inspiring natural wonders, the Grand Canyon, lies on U.S. Government lands. Vacationers from all around the world converge to gape at its chasm of desert beauty, and tourism revenues flow into the U.S. Treasury to help fund a largesse of give-aways, not the least of which are MRE's and tushy-wipes for illegals.
A boycott of Grand Canyon could pinch those funds, too. That what y’want, Ed?
One thing more awesome than the gaping chasm of the Grand Canyon is the gaping chasm between Ed Reyes' ears. Now that's a tourist attraction I'd love to see, but I'd hafta boycott it. After all, Ed, turnabout’s fair play, so stew in that tripe, ya putz!
John and Don – this boycott’s for you.
