Snapple Beverage Corporation

Earlier today we caught up with George A. Fertitta, Bloomberg's newest private sector recruit, who will be taking over the city's newly combined tourism, marketing and event-planning operations on June 19th.

He said he hopes he will bring the entire organization "up another notch" thanks to his "background and skill set." (He was founder of the ad agency Margeotes Fertitta Powell, which among its clients counted ... Colonial Williamsburg!)

He entered negotiations with the Bloomberg administration several months ago, he said, before the Snapple debacle.

"I don't really look at this as a Snapple problem, it is a situation of unfulfilled over-expectation. There is no correlation between any of the staff changes and the Snapple situation."

The new guy's credo:

"This is not a city dedicated to tourism, but to its citizens, and tourism is an engine to make the lives of the city's citizens better."

Where to start?

"Staten Island!," he said. "There are big plans for Staten Island."

- Jason Horowitz

While Bill Clinton and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee took on obesity uptown with pledges from Coke and Pepsi to cut down soda portions for kids during the school day, Mayor Bloomberg was left to defend his favorite soft drink.

"Snapple has calories like other things," said Bloomberg.

The great Snapple Deal windfall continues to elude the city. Last month, the city was forced to renegotiate its deal with the tea-maker after revenue from sales fell $93 million short of the $126 million the city had projected.

Now, Crain's reports, Comptroller William Thompson is charging that New York City Marketing (the company responsible for dreaming up these "branding" opportunities for the city) owes the city of more than $200,000 in commissions from Snapple. New York City Marketing begs to differ.

- Lizzy Ratner

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