Smoking ban passes in Manhattan

From KTKA News, New York, NY Soon, smoking will be banned in many public places in Manhattan. Tonight, voters in the Little Apple approved a smoking ban. 57 percent of voters said yes. This summer, the Manhattan city commission decided to put it to a vote. And supporters of the ban say they fought hard against misinformation in the campaign. "They saw through all of the stories from the other side and finally what the city commission didn't do and what hasn't happened until now, the voters passed this ordinance...Very exciting," ban proponent David Seay said. This is an issue the Manhattan city commission refused to decide three times. That last time, they decided to put it on the ballot. The ban goes into effect in 60 days.

Protect rights of smokers

I just wanted to post this letter to the editor of the Santa Maria Times ... I think it says it all: "I am not an advocate of smoking. I quit over 30 years ago, and regularly advise others to do the same. My argument is that there is already too much government in our everyday lives. You must agree that people you are proposing to regulate are taxpaying citizens, with every right to enjoy the parks as anyone else. The second-hand-smoke theory is very loosely based on junk science, as so many things are these days. Common sense tells us that for a smoker to affect another person in a open space, such as the parks, he/she would have to be directly in that person's face. It is far more likely that dust and/or any number of other contaminants will be inhaled. If city fathers wish to be so Draconian, they should set aside areas for smokers, as smoking, per se, is not an illegal activity. K. Weber Santa Maria" null

Anti-smoking ban site launched by 4th District Congressional candidate

REPRINTED from the Iowa Independent : Independent Congressional candidate William Meyers, who lost his district's Democratic primary last month, has launched a new Web site he hopes will become the focal point for the movement to repeal the recently enacted statewide smoking ban. The site attacks most Democrats in both chambers of the state legislature. The site, RepealTheSmokingBan.org , officially went live earlier today. Meyers said he is currently operating it on his own but hopes in the coming days to contact interested parties who are working to overturn the ban to see if they would be interested in utilizing the site to unify the movement on a statewide basis. "I want to donate the site to groups trying to get this terrible law overturned," Meyers said. "This site can help form a statewide coalition to make that a reality." Meyers said he first became interested in the idea when he was running in the Democratic primary for the 4th District U.S. Congressional seat. The site, however, is completely separate from his independent run for Congress, Meyers said, though he hopes he can use the experience he has gained during the campaign to benefit the anti-ban movement. "I'm willing to do what I can, whether that is helping with research for a future lawsuit, assist in online networking or just out talking to people and letting them know why this ban is a bad idea." One section of the site, entitled "The Nannies," lists every legislator who voted in favor of the smoking ban, along with contact information. A "Nanny," according to the site, is anyone who "thinks they should be able to tell other adults how to live. The militantly anti-anything-else-they-see-someone-else-enjoying." Many Democrats were already upset with Meyers, fearing his independent run for Congress could siphon votes away from Democratic nominee Becky Greenwald and tip the race to Republican incumbent Tom Latham. In designing a Web site aimed directly at a bill Democratic legislators and Democratic Gov. Chet Culver advocated,he runs the risk of further alienating the Democratic establishment. "I think this shows my willingness to reach across the aisle and speak out on an issue I believe in," he said. "I was embarrassed to call myself a Democrat when my party pushed through the smoking ban, and I think it will hurt them and any Republican who voted for it this fall."