{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-helps-launch-shop-local-campaign-to-promote-ri-retailers", "Reed Helps Launch ‘Shop Local’ Campaign to Promote RI Retailers", "2014-12-05", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Jack Reed", "R000122", "www.reed.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12/05/2014\u00a0\u2014\u00a0EAST GREENWICH, RI \u2013 U.S. Senator Jack Reed is urging Rhode Islanders to add \u201cshop local\u201d to their holiday shopping lists.\u00a0 During a tour of Main Street businesses, shops, and boutiques in East Greenwich today, Reed encouraged fellow Rhode Islanders to support independent retailers across the state and discussed legislative efforts to help local businesses thrive.\u00a0\r\n\u201cSmall business owners and their employees are the heart and soul of our local economy, and it\u2019s critical that we support them.\u00a0 Shopping at these neighborhood stores can have a ripple effect throughout the entire economy, so I urge Rhode Islanders to shop local this holiday season and throughout the year.\u00a0 Every dollar we keep in the state pays dividends to the greater community,\u201d said Reed.\u00a0 \u201cEast Greenwich has a lot of great, unique, family-owned businesses.\u00a0 The town and the business community do a great job of promoting the retail area and we need to replicate that type of teamwork and partnership throughout the state.\u201d\r\nAccording to buylocalri.org: \u201cLocal businesses often keep your money local, investing in local supplies, wages, services, taxes, and community donations. \u00a0This strengthens Rhode Island\u2019s economic and tax base. \u00a0A study in Austin, Texas found that $100 spent at a local bookstore produced $45 worth of local economic activity, and $100 at a chain bookstore brought back only $13.\u201d\r\nAnd the Providence Journal reported that \u201cif Rhode Islanders shifted 10 percent of what they buy from large, out-of-state chain stores to locally owned businesses, it could pump $373 million into the state\u2019s economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cMy top priority is growing jobs and opportunities in Rhode Island.\u00a0 Congress needs to do more to help small businesses grow and that means investing in our workforce, infrastructure, and education system.\u00a0 It also means creating incentives for businesses to hire, cutting red tape, and providing increased access to capital,\u201d said Reed.\u00a0\r\nReed noted that last year, the United States Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would level the playing field for Main Street retailers like those in East Greenwich by requiring all retailers, regardless of where they are located, to play by the same rules.\u00a0 Under current law, online sales tax disparities cause Rhode Island to lose approximately $70 million per year.\u00a0 The bipartisan Marketplace Fairness Act gives states the ability to enforce their own sales tax laws and would help states and cities collect billions in unpaid taxes already owed, reducing the need to raise new taxes on small businesses and citizens.\u00a0 Several governors across the country, including Governor Lincoln Chafee, have pledged to use the new revenue to provide broad tax relief to businesses and consumers.\r\nThe tour kicked off at the Greenwich Odeum Theatre, where Senator Reed was joined by community and business leaders, including Jennifer Cervenka, President of the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce; Steve Lombardi, Executive Director of the Chamber; East Greenwich Town Manager Tom Coyle; East Greenwich Town Council President Michael Isaacs; and local business owners.\r\n\u201cThe East Greenwich Chamber is thrilled to have Senator Reed back in East Greenwich and to have him visit some of our wonderful small businesses,\u201d said Steve Lombardi, Executive Director of the Chamber.\u00a0 \u201cShopping and buying local is so important to our community as there are many economic and social reasons to do so.\u00a0 Last weekend we celebrated Small Business Saturday and had our first Holiday Stroll of the season.\u00a0 We are delighted that Senator Reed is such a strong proponent of small business and shopping local.\u00a0 We are confident that he will see a terrific variety of small businesses thriving in East Greenwich.\u00a0 We welcome the Senator back to East Greenwich.\u201d\r\nTogether the group visited more than a dozen shops on Main Street including: International Motor Group; Bags by Iris; Hair Plus/Colonial Shoe; Lina Piccolina; Main Street Coffee; Jigger\u2019s; Rasa; Norman\u2019s; Zuzu\u2019s; Time for Design; David-Max; Twigs Florist; Scribe; Shimmer\u2019s; and Hill and Harbor Veterinary.\r\n-end-\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-helps-launch-shop-local-campaign-to-promote-ri-retailers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7101690173149109, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}