The Price of No Cigarettes
The proposed county-wide smoking ban has been met with a lot of contempt by voters. While commissioner Nelson Peters has been the point man for the county on the issue, Dr Crawford is viewed as the person who has pushed it the most.
Smoking could end up being a major issue in next year's mayor's race in Fort Wayne. Comforts such as smoking often become hot topics with certain voters when threatened. Since both men are on the short list of potential candidates, each should tread carefully with this issue.
Smoking could end up being a major issue in next year's mayor's race in Fort Wayne. Comforts such as smoking often become hot topics with certain voters when threatened. Since both men are on the short list of potential candidates, each should tread carefully with this issue.
posted by Indiana Pundit at 10:09 AM
8 Comments:
I do not smoke. Smoke sometimes bothers me, this has gotten worse as I have gotten older. That being said...
The smoking ban is WRONG. Private Property owners and small businesses should be allowed to make their own rules regarding smoking. The Government is too involved in regulating our lives.
I COULD see a rule stating that all businesses should be required to post their rules concerning smoking on the front door of their establishment.
Business owners should make the rules regarding smoking; not politicians...
The Free Market will reward those business owners who choose rules that match the desire of their patrons.
There is only one Political Party in Allen County who thinks the continued erosion of property rights is wrong; that is The Libertarian Party of Allen County.
Mike Sylvester
Peters will vote AGAINST the ban to protect his chances for next year..
Crawford is too far out on this issue to back off now
Sylvester's right about this issue being decided by business owners. They should be able to cater to their clientele as they see fit.
I smoked for 24 years (quit in 2002), but I would never attempt to restrict the rights of others to patronize establishments that allow smoking. Let people make their own decisions on this issue, and let businessmen/women decide whom they wish to attract to their sites.
I am for the smoking ban. Public health is too important to be left to the business owner. We all pay for the effects of smoking - not just the smoker. At the end of the day the smoking ban will positively effect public health w/o negatively effecting business. IMO, that's good public policy and I would consider supporting any politician that supports and smoking ban...
I'm with you, Jeff. It's an occupational health issue, as well as a health issue for customers. We have all sorts of restrictions on what private property owners/business owners can do and the smoking ban is in that category. No, I don't have a right to make my employees operate unsafe machinery. No, I don't have a right to construct a building in the cheapest way possible, ignoring building codes. There are things that people do which affect others, and smoking in public is one of them. Right now the "right" of smokers to pollute my lungs are what is protected....
Pruitt, You obviously have no idea what a free-market economy represents. If you want to protect your health, stay the heck out of the bars.
Allen County Smoking Ordinance is poorly written
The proposed Allen County smoking ordinance is poorly written and needs to be clarified before it is voted on.
The ordinance exempts “Private residences, except when used as a licensed child care, adult care, or Health Care Facility.”
What does this mean? I spoke to several Allen County officials about the definition of a “Private residence.” None of the officials I spoke to could define a “private residence.” Allen County Code does not define a “private residence.” The proposed smoking ordinance does not define a “private residence.”
Will the proposed smoking ban affect a home owner who has a home office and runs a small business out of their home? Will the proposed smoking ban affect a home owner who has had their residence rezoned into a commercial property? Will it affect a home owner who has a “use variance” in place so they can conduct commercial business on their property? I once again talked to several individuals that work for Allen County and not one of them could answer any of these questions either. This must be clarified in the proposed ordinance.
The posting requirements are the worst section of this document. Per section 10-8-4 “any establishment exempted shall post the following sign at the main entrance: “Warning: This is a smoking establishment.”
My wife and I are accountants and each have an office in our home. If our house qualifies as a “private residence” we would be exempt from the proposed smoking ordinance. My wife and I choose NOT to allow people to smoke in our house.
Per section 10-8-4 we will be required to post a sign on our front door, even though we do not allow smoking in our house, that says “Warning: This is a smoking establishment.”
Section 10-8-4 needs to be re-written. I do not allow smoking in my home; it is absurd that this ordinance will require me to post a sign at the main entrance of my house stating that it is a smoking establishment. As written this ordinance would require every person who has a business in their home to post a sign at their front entrance stating that it is smoking establishment, whether you allow smoking or not.
This ordinance will affect hundreds of thousands of people if it is enacted. I hope the County Commissioners take the time to write it properly and then let the public comment on it after the errors are fixed.
Mike Sylvester
Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Allen County
Here's another idea Smokey
If you don't like the Allen County smoking policy then don't open a business here or move it the heck out of Allen County
Free market has never been free from government law...
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