Ryan Evans: Founders of America didn't
intend to 'level playing field'
Letter to the editor
April 19,
2008
Why must everything be fair?
We continue to hear the bizarre
calls for a "level playing field" when it comes to smoking bans, but
doesn't that really just defeat the purpose of local government? If
everything were equal and level, why even have local government? Why not
just have each state impose totalitarian rule over their entire
"property" and dissolve all local governance?
Of course I'm being
facetious, but only because this is the mentality that is permeating our
state. I'm not even a smoker, but I believe in individual rights over
group rights. Our country was created to ensure the rights of an
individual and not a group.
Read the Federalist Papers. Learn and
understand what individual rights means and learn what limited
government means. Understand that the role of government is not to take
care of you and protect you from annoyances.
For those who are
interested in understanding how America was designed to protect the
people from minority or majority rule (and why this is important to the
smoking ban fight), read Federalist 10. In it, James Madison talks about
the troubles caused by minority or majority factions driven by a common
passion.
The Founders built this country to be able to resist such
things -- yet somehow we have allowed this to erode
completely.
What's worse is that we're teaching our kids to go
against the Founders' vision for America. I wonder if federalism and the
foundations of America are even taught in school any longer when a state
university newspaper prints this:
"Doyle must also push through a
statewide smoking ban. A statewide ban would smooth out the legal
differences across municipalities with smoking bans, while ensuring
uniform health standards in Wisconsin businesses."
Uniformity was not
the intention of America. If one local government makes a choice, it is
not up to the state to equalize things because the next city makes a
different choice. That is one of the wonders of being free to live and
to make choices.
Ryan Evans
research director, Ban
the Ban
Wisconsin Inc.
St. Croix Falls
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/letters/282335
Statewide smoking ban appears to be
dead
March 12,
2008
MADISON — Barring a
last-minute breakthrough, a statewide smoking ban is about to be snuffed
out in the Legislature.
The Assembly planned to
finish its work for the year today and the smoking ban was not up for a
vote. The Senate has likewise not taken a vote on the ban, which must
pass both chambers and be signed by the governor before it becomes law.
The Senate finishes its work on Thursday.
Supporters vowed to try
again next year.
“We’re not giving up,”
said Rep. Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton. “We’re in for the long
haul.”
Gov. Jim Doyle has been
advocating for the ban for months, but it met with staunch opposition
from the powerful Tavern League lobby. It opposed having the ban start
in bars at the same time as in restaurants and other work
places.
No new talks with the
ban’s opponents were planned for today, said Maureen Busalacchi,
executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin. But she still hadn’t given
up hope, despite the long odds.
“Until they all go home,
we’re not going to take the pressure off,” she said.
Busalacchi, along with
the American Cancer Society and others, attempted for months to broker a
compromise with opponents.
The Tavern League
suggested having the ban to start in January for all businesses but
bars, where it would start on July 1, 2011. Supporters, including Doyle,
balked and argued that the ban should start everywhere at the same
time.
Wieckert blamed the
Tavern League for killing the measure that he said had broad public
support.
“One special interest
group can do in the will of the state,” Wieckert said. “That’s sad. But
I’m a firm believer in democracy. In the end, we will
win.”
Pete Madland, the Tavern
League’s chief executive officer, said his group’s position was
supported by many people across the state as well.
“I think legislators
understand this is not just about employee health,” he said. “This is
about people’s jobs, people’s businesses, people’s livelihood, and it’s
not to be taken too lightly.”
The Tavern League had
argued that a statewide smoking ban would hurt bar owners, especially
those with smaller operations. Madland vowed to oppose the ban as long
as his group’s members do.
Backers attempted to spur
the Legislature to action last week by bringing in Tour de France
champion Lance Armstrong. But even Armstrong’s appearances in Madison
and suburban Milwaukee didn’t move the opposition.
Doyle has argued that
Wisconsin needs a ban because neighboring Illinois and Minnesota
recently enacted one.
Twenty-three states have
banned smoking in bars and restaurants, according to the Campaign for
Tobacco Free Kids. Four more states prohibit smoking in restaurants but
exempt stand-alone bars.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/GPG0101/80312083
Statewide Smoking Ban Snuffed Out in
Legislature
WBAY - Green Bay,WI,USA
By
Jason Zimmerman Hopes for a statewide smoking ban are once again
on hold. The Assembly ended its session Wednesday without giving the
bill a vote, ...
Speaking Out About Eau Claire's Proposed
Smoking Ban
WEAU-TV 13 - Eau Claire,WI,USA
City leader,
the local Tavern League and bar owners are speaking out about making Eau
Claire smoke free. We first told you Thursday, that the city is
...
Lawton, Hanna push statewide smoking
ban
Oshkosh Northwestern - Oshkosh,WI,USA
Barbara
Lawton said Thursday state legislators still have time to take action on
a statewide workplace smoking ban before the legislative session ends
March ...
Committee sends Wisconsin smoking ban bill to
full Assembly
Wausau Daily Herald - Wausau,WI,USA
AP
MADISON — An Assembly committee voted 6-3 today to send a proposed
smoking ban to the full Assembly. But committee chairman Rep.
...
Statewide Smoking Ban?
WEAU-TV
13 - Eau Claire,WI,USA
Thousands of people gathered in Madison to
hear seven time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong speak about
Wisconsin’s smoking ban at a rally Tuesday. ...
Both Sides Keep Fire Under Issue of State
Smoking Ban
WBAY - Green Bay,WI,USA
By Sarah Thomsen
There is just over a week left to get a statewide smoking ban up for a
vote in the legislature before both the Senate and Assembly go home.
...
Smoking ban debate heats
up
Baraboo News Republic - Baraboo,WI,USA
He supports a
smoking ban that would take effect after the new year. A spokesman for
Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said the earliest
...
Statement of response to the Baraboo
News Republic
For Immediate Release, March 4, 2008
RE: “Smoking
ban debate heats up”
Ban the Ban Wisconsin wishes to express their
disappointment with the Baraboo News Republic’s article entitled
“Smoking ban debate heats up.” While the Baraboo News Republic should be
commended for the fact that the article features both sides of the
smoking ban debate, the fact of the matter is that the pro-ban elements
of the debate were the predominant feature of the story.
“There is
more to the ban opponents than just the Tavern League. This is an issue
that affects all of Wisconsin, and yet the only thing being consistently
portrayed by the news media is the ‘woe is us, we demand the right to be
safe from secondhand smoke’ crowd versus the taverns and bars. While the
taverns and bars are indeed an element to consider, they are not the
only opponent to contend with.”
Ban the Ban Wisconsin has been
stirring up the local communities and working to get the people of
Wisconsin involved in this issue. While they do indeed share the end
goals of the Tavern League, their scope extends beyond that of the
League.
“Over and over again we hear people argue that ‘the vast
majority of the people of Wisconsin support a ban,’ yet every day we
talk to people who are adamantly opposed to it. The prevailing attitude
that outstate and rural small-town Wisconsin doesn’t seem to matter has
got to come to an end. Madison is not Wisconsin, and we are trying to
give the rest of the people a voice and remind Madison that it is not
their community that will suffer at the hands of a smoking ban.”
“We
are tired of the smoking ban proponents using irresponsible and
oftentimes immoral tactics to get their way. Parading celebrities
around, holding rallies, using scare tactics and spreading misleading
information to push their agendas is really very low – and time and
again it is apparent that they are getting a free ride with the local
news media. Part of our job here at Ban the Ban is to chase down and set
the record straight on the issues; but this has become a monumental task
now that the news media is helping to propagate the movement.”
Ban
the Ban Wisconsin has recently incorporated in Wisconsin as a nonprofit
organization and has begun stepping up their efforts to rally support,
disseminate facts and information and spread the message that the People
of Wisconsin deserve the right to choose.
Ban the Ban Wisconsin, Inc.
http://www.banthebanwisconsin.com
banthebanwi@gmail.com
Contacts: Ryan Evans, Joey Monson
---------------------------
Smoking ban debate heats up
March
4, 2008
By Brian D. Bridgeford
Local advocates for and against
allowing smoking in public places will be battling for the attention of
lawmakers this week as the Wisconsin State Assembly considers a
statewide ban on the practice.
Cycling champion and seven-time Tour
de France winner Lance Armstrong will be at the Monona Terrace
Convention Center in Madison at noon today to rally support for the
measure, says Judy Spring, a Baraboo-based anti-tobacco advocate. It is
the first time the cancer crusader has made such a visit to any
state.
On Wednesday, representatives of the Wisconsin Tavern League
will be at the Capitol speaking with legislators about a compromise on
the ban and to assert the right of business owners, not government, to
decide what their customers can do in their establishments, says Mick
Quindt, local restaurant owner and president of the Sauk County Tavern
League.
Last week, the Assembly's Public Health Committee held a
public hearing on a proposed ban, and committee members are slated to
vote on the bill today, according the Associated Press. Ban supporters
hope Armstrong's presence will be enough to push the bill through the
Senate and Assembly before the legislators end their session this
month.
"We have more life in the bill now than in the last six
months, maybe a year," said Assemblyman Steve Wieckert, R-Appleton. He
supports a smoking ban that would take effect after the new year.
A
spokesman for Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, said
the earliest a ban could be considered is March 11, just days before the
end of the legislative session.
In the state Senate, a representative
of Majority Leader Russ Decker, D-Weston, said the proposal must be
modified before it is likely to win approval from Democratic and
Republican legislators in his house.
Quindt said members of the
Tavern League think the ban is a violation of their right to decide how
to run their businesses. He is the owner of Quindt's Towne Lounge on
South Boulevard.
"We are trying to get a compromise that could still
allow smoking in your bar part, but then your restaurant part would be
non-smoking completely," he said.
Quindt said for many people,
smoking is a part of the enjoyment of going out for a meal or visiting a
bar. Allowing customers to smoke is "crucial," and banning smoking
already has hurt businesses in Appleton and Madison where local bans
have been implemented, he said.
Some bars in Madison had to shut down
because of the financial impact of the smoking ban in that city, he
said. "People were leaving Madison and going like into surrounding
areas, like Fitchburg and Middleton and Verona, so they could smoke,"
Quindt said.
Quindt said whatever rules are created must be uniform.
It hurts businesses even more if bars and restaurants in some areas have
smoking bans while surrounding communities don't, he said.
Tavern
League representatives will be visiting their state legislators
Wednesday at the Capitol to impress upon them the business owners' view
of the situation, he said.
"The government is infringing on the
business owner and how he can operate his business," Quindt said. "We
don't feel that's right, that government can put any more control on
businesses. There's too much control right now on businesses."
Spring
is coordinator of the Sauk County Tobacco-Free Coalition, a group
supported by the county Health Department and state health officials.
She compares second-hand smoke to environmental threats such as asbestos
and rejects any idea of a compromise.
"It's not acceptable to allow
smoking in bars," she said. "Second-hand smoke is dangerous to all the
employees and patrons who are exposed to it."
Some states, such as
Minnesota, allow smoking in outdoor sections of bars or eating
establishments, she said.
Twenty other states already have smoke-free
laws, Spring said. Wisconsin is lagging behind because its legislature
has not yet agreed to approve a smoking ban.
"Nebraska went
100-percent smoke-free last week. Iowa is moving that way," she said.
"Already our neighbors of Illinois and Minnesota are smoke-free."
If
the Wisconsin legislature does not approve a uniform statewide ban,
anti-smoking advocates will continue to push for bans on public smoking
in local communities, Spring said. She criticized the Tavern League for
its efforts to pre-empt local laws on the issue.
Last week, officials
of the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line announced they received a
record-breaking 20,000 calls so far this year from people wanting help
to end their smoking habit. Normally, the phone help line and Internet
service serves about 9,000 state residents per year.
"This
unprecedented success in assisting Wisconsin smokers through
1-800-QUIT-NOW breaks all previous state records," said Michael Fiore, a
physician who directs the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco
Research and Intervention and manages the quit line.
This year's
$1-per-pack increase in the state's tax on cigarettes was among the
factors contributing to the jump calls, according to his
statement.
Armstrong said Friday that while he's made fighting cancer
the central issue of his life, he's never before been asked to speak out
in support of a statewide smoking ban. Gov. Jim Doyle placed the call
and Armstrong agreed, AP reported.
"Our main goal and objective is
just to bring exposure to the issue," Armstrong said during a conference
call. Doyle said Armstrong will help galvanize public support for the
ban.
Armstrong will be at the rally in Madison and will hold a news
conference in Milwaukee later that day.
Spring said she is optimistic
about the eventually success of efforts to ban smoking.
"At this
point, (almost) 50 percent of the United States is protected from
second-hand smoke, I believe it's 22 states," she said. "Wisconsin is
behind the curve, (but) we'll catch up eventually."
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/index.php?ntid=275397
Propagandizing the Smoking Ban
February 29, 2008
Ban the Ban Wisconsin is
seeking to set the record straight on the ridiculous propaganda being
put forth by the “six groups working to promote the ban” regarding their
planned rally this coming
Tuesday.
“The smoking cessation,
pro-ban advocates think that they can push their agendas through guilt
and manipulation. They are parading a stream of ‘woe is me’ stories
before the crowds in an attempt to cover up their flimsy arguments
behind human faces. It is a reprehensible tactic, yet they go out of
their way to tug on the public’s heart
strings.”
One of the attendees to
Tuesday’s pro-ban rally will be bicyclist Lance
Armstrong.
“Lance Armstrong is being
used for name recognition and to push the so-called ‘health’ issue. In a
recent newspaper article promoting the rally, Armstrong is touted as a
cancer survivor, which while admirable, has little to do with smoking
bans other than to draw sympathy. Once again we challenge that if this
issue were indeed one of health, then a ban on smoking should be
proposed, period. Promoting smoking cessation under the guise of smoking
bans and hiding behind the cover of public health isn’t going to
fly.”
Rally organizers will also
be bussing people to Madison for the
event.
“Is this an objective way to
get your point across? Loading pro-ban protesters onto busses and
bringing them all to a single point might look impressive, but it gives
people a skewed perspective as to what’s really going on. If all you’re
looking for are supporters, then that’s all you’re going to see. Once
again, this isn’t a representation of Wisconsin. It is a representation
of anti-smoking
proponents.”
The local media continues to
propagate incorrect information being presented as facts that support
the anti-smoking cause.
“It is irresponsibility at
its worst to see the media cover just one side of the story here since
smoking bans are based heavily and are most often light on facts. Ban
opponents are written off as agents of tobacco or liquor while pro-ban
organizations get a free pass. Arguments by ban opponents are written
off as agenda-driven while pro-ban arguments are treated as gospel. This
is the sort of thing that has got to end before this debate can be
considered legitimate. Otherwise this is nothing more than one-sided
takeover of people’s
rights.”
Ban the Ban Wisconsin’s
interest in the topic remains one of open debate and integrity in facts.
Much of their efforts have been directed towards gathering facts and
looking at all sides of the issue instead of focusing strictly on
“supporting” data and cherry picking useful talking
points.
“The fact remains that when
somebody has a vested interest in ancillary goals, their objectivity and
integrity cannot be wholly trusted. Anybody can gather data and
‘evidence’ their cause if that’s all they look for. But it’s
intellectually dishonest to ignore anything that disagrees with your
personal views. And then to try to impose something upon the masses
without a fair and open argument, well, it’s unbelievable that we’re
even having to have this conversation in this day and
age.”
http://banthebanwisconsin.wordpress.com/
Regarding your
article:
http://www.wiscnews.com/pdr/news//index.php?ntid=273733
No restaurant smoking? No problem; some establishments don't
allow lighting up even without a ban
Matthew Call / Daily
Register
The article ends:
Supporters of a smoking ban want
workplace smoking regulated in a similar manner to that of sanitation in
restaurants and asbestos.
"You regulate other things, why not
this?" asked Jeff Melby, a volunteer with Breathe Free Portage, a
subgroup of the Columbia County Tobacco Free Coalition
Regulation is a fine
alternative to smoking bans, regulating a safe level of exposure is not
the same as banning a substance.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/03/secondhand-smoke-should-be-regulated-by.html
Air quality testing by Johns
Hopkins University, the American Cancer Society, a Minnesota
Environmental Health Department, and various researchers whose testing
and report was peer reviewed and published in the esteemed British
Medical Journal......prove that secondhand smoke is 2.6 - 25,000 times
SAFER than occupational (OSHA) workplace regulations:
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/11/johns-hopkins-air-quality-testing-of.html
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/04/bmj-published-air-quality-test-results.html
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2004/04/american-cancer-society-test-results.html
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/02/air-quality-testing-and-secondhand.html
Thus
further nullifying the argument that secondhnad smoke is a workplace
health hazard.
Mark Wernimont
Watertown, MN.
PS smoking bans here in
Minnesota have closed 158+ bars & restaurants.......and
counting.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html
With Armstrong coming, smoking ban push heats
up
The Capital Times - Madison,WI,USA
With less than a
month to go before the Legislature adjourns, advocates of a smoking ban
in bars and restaurants are turning up the heat, bringing bicycling
...
Doyle, Armstrong unite on smoke
ban
The Capital Times - Madison,WI,USA
Jim Doyle said
it's time legislative leaders in both houses scheduled the smoking ban
for a floor vote. "It's important for the leaders to allow it to come
...
Lance Armstrong looks to push for statewide
smoking ban in Wis.
Chippewa Herald - Chippewa
Falls,WI,USA
Cycling champion Lance Armstrong's visit to Wisconsin
next week to lobby for a statewide smoking ban will mark the first time
the cancer crusader has made ...
WisPolitics: Doyle, Lance Armstrong urge
passage of statewide ...
WisPolitics.com -
Madison,WI,USA
Jim Doyle said today that he would be willing to
negotiate a phase-in period for bars in a statewide smoking ban, but
indicated he would not wait longer ...
Smoking ban proposed in
Monona
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
Two
Monona City Council members have proposed a smoking ban that will go
before the council for the first time Monday night. Unless it 's
referred to a ...
Debate on workplace smoke ban lights
up
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
Meanwhile,
opponents are increasing their efforts to make sure a smoking ban isn 't
passed. The Tavern League of Wisconsin has begun running radio ads
...
WISC-TV
Poll: Democrats, Republicans At Odds Over Statewide
...
WISC - Madison,WI,USA
The
results are in from a WISC-TV poll that asked likely voters whether they
would support a statewide smoking ban for all bars, restaurants, and
workplaces ...
Proposed
smoking ban could affect city bars
Royal Purple News - Whitewater,WI,USA
Doyle
proposed a smoking ban in all public buildings, workplaces, restaurants
and bars in January 2007 in an effort to make Wisconsin smoke-free.
...
Letters:
Gov. Doyle; Super Spin; smoking ban; Jim Kiser
The Reporter - Fond du Lac,WI,USA
Ireland
is our 33rd largest export destination, so I guess the governor feels a
need to visit every other year. OK, raise your hands if you believe Gov.
...
Both sides dig in over
state smoking ban
The Capital Times - Madison,WI,USA
The
multimedia ads, part of a protracted battle over a proposed smoking ban,
are hitting the airwaves at a time when momentum for a statewide ban on
smoking ...
Smoking ban takes away our freedom of choice
January 21, 2008
I'm a former smoker who made a conscious decision to quit smoking a
long time ago. I knew the health risks when I started, but finally made
a choice to quit because of those health risks. Notice the two key
phrases there: conscious decision, and choice.
While I don't condone smoking, I certainly don't condone the
fact that our governor and other legislators have imposed higher taxes
on tobacco products, nor do I condone that they are pushing for bans on
smoking in businesses such as restaurants and bars. If any of these
places chooses to go smoke free, it should be at the discretion of the
business owner, not government.
What is going to be next? Smoking bans in your car or home? How
much more do "we the people" want to have people like Jim Doyle telling
us we have no more personal choice whether or not it isn't the
healthiest one?
This isn't simply about health risks any more; it's about
freedom of choice. And if we continue on this path, it will be a matter
of time before more of our freedoms will be no longer.
I for one don't want that for our country, and if you love
freedom, especially freedom of free choice, you need to contact your
legislators and tell them enough is enough.
SHAWN CLARK
Sheboygan
Read
So here it starts. Yesterday the Wisconsin Senate chose to
resurrect the State smoking ban (
SB 150) and passed it
through their committee which allows it to go to the floor
now.
This is not acceptable.
I started phase one
by sending out email
letters, and since that didn’t gain me much I am now sending
out hard copies of my letter along with packets of information regarding
smoking ban damage and the lack of hard evidence regarding second-hand
smoke.
Phase two starts now. I have put together an
informal petition that I
hope to get circulating around Wisconsin to help guage response as well
as gather data.
This is where I need help. Anybody in Wisconsin who reads this,
please
sign the petition here and
forward it on to everybody you can. We need the power of the people more
than ever now, as the Governor Doyle and the Wisconsin legislature has
proven to us time and again that they don’t care about anybody unless
they make a ruckus. So you know what? It’s time to make a ruckus. It’s
time to be as annoying and in-your-face as the anti-smoking
crowd.
Remember, this isn’t about smoking. This is about freedom and
rights. This is about the right of a person to choose their own path.
It’s about the right of a business owner to run their business as they
want.
Remember, the more we allow them to take away, the more we lose in
the long run. Is this the future that we really want?
Below is my commentary on SmokeFree Wisconsin’s asinine press
release on the Senate move:
SmokeFree Wisconsin: Statement on the committee vote on smoke free
legislation
1/9/2008
For further information:
Maureen Busalacchi
(608)
268-2620
MADISON—The Wisconsin State Senate Public Health Committee took
an important step today in advancing Senate Bill 150, legislation that
would make all public places and workplaces in the state smoke-free.
Unfortunately, amendments were added to the bill by the committee that
create loopholes for Big Tobacco and delay health protection for
restaurant and bar workers for two years. A coalition of public health
and business groups urge a vote on the Senate floor as soon as
possible to correct and pass SB150.
[See, here’s the problem with the anti-smoking crowd. They want all
or nothing. There is no such thing as a compromise with them. They want
it their way or no way… And of course, no way is not an option. They
also want things to move along as quickly as possible, which I think is
a ploy to make sure laws are in place before anybody has a chance to
argue another side of the equation.]
“This legislation is long overdue; it is time for everyone who
lives and works in Wisconsin to have basic health protection from
secondhand smoke,” said Maureen Busalacchi, Executive Director of
SmokeFree Wisconsin. “The bill needs to be corrected through amendments
but we are looking forward to finally having action on the Senate
floor.”
[She sounds like she is taking this personally. Shouldn’t the
passage of restrictive legislation be based on objective reasoning over
personal feelings? I mean, we’re talking about stripping away the basic
rights and freedoms of Wisconsin residents and business owners in the
name of public health - something that they cannot definitively prove
anyway.]
A last-minute amendment was passed that exempts “a place of
employment operated by a manufacturer, importer, wholesaler, or
distributor of tobacco products” as well as “a tobacco storage facility”
from the law (quoted from amendment LRBa0722/1). These broad and
undefined exemptions would exempt tobacco company-owned businesses and
possibly open up broader loopholes. For example, Reynolds American
recently entered the bar and restaurant business by opening an
establishment in Chicago. Such an establishment would be clearly
exempted under this amendment.
[Here we go with the lack of compromise or exemption. What is the
deal? Why such an all-or-nothing stance?]
“It is outrageous that tobacco companies still have a say when we
write laws to protect health,” said Busalacchi.
[Here we go… The big, bad, evil tobacco companies are running the
government. Yeah, right. This is a personal issue to people like Ms.
Busalacchi. She’s on a personal mission here. She hates tobacco. She
hates smoke. She hates smokers. She would rather see a blatant violation
of freedom than allow big, bad tobacco to get one over on her.]
“The delay in implementation of the law is also a problem,” said
Alison Prange, Wisconsin Government Relations Director of the American
Cancer Society. “Why should people have to wait two full years to
breathe free inside a restaurant or bar?”
[As always, I can’t help but to ask why it is that people supposedly
have no choice? If people do not want to be exposed to ETS, they have
the choice not to patronize establishments that allow smoking. Is it
that hard to figure out? And stop throwing around this “breathe free”
thing. Breathing free is having the right to breathe whatever we choose,
not being told what to breathe. Give me a break!]
The measure is now available to be scheduled on the Senate floor
where advocates believe a majority of Senators, including members from
both parties, will pass the bill. If the bill becomes law, Wisconsin
would become the 23rd state to require all restaurants and bars to be
smoke-free.
[That’s because these people are placing the importance of pandering
to special interests over freedom which is wholly unacceptable.]
Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including 69
carcinogens. An impressive coalition of health and business advocates
have joined together to support SB150, including the American Cancer
Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association,
SmokeFree Wisconsin, Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Restaurant
Association, Wisconsin Innkeepers Association, and others.
[Ah yes, the evils of ETS. It’ll kill you faster than Plutonium
according to the surgeon general. Yet… OSHA has not put any limits on
exposure. So if I worked somewhere where I was exposed to the same array
of chemicals in a non-ETS related capacity, I wouldn’t have to take
precautions, yet when it’s ETS you have to ban it to protect everybody.
I don’t want to hear about biased coalitions who want to see the
abolition (or at least the complete cessation) of smoking. There’s no
objectivity to these people. If they are going to slap us with
nanny-state laws and infringe this severely on our rights and freedoms,
I want objective data. No opinions. No personal vendettas against smoke.
No personal hatred of big tobacco.]
