IS IT TRUE? November 16, 2011 “Will Evansville Really be a Smokefree City in 2012?”

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IS IT TRUE? November 16, 2011 “Will Evansville Really be a Smokefree City in 2012”

IS IT TRUE that one of the real bits of heartburn that many people had with the outgoing Mayor and the outgoing City Council was how they missed opportunity after opportunity to enact a stricter smoking ordinance in the City of Evansville?…that Mayor Weinzapfel always took the “this is the Council’s job but I will sign what they pass” approach never really embracing either side of the issue?…that the outgoing City Council had just enough of a combination of people who were fundamentally opposed to strengthening the smoking ordinance and those with an all or nothing attitude to keep a 5 – 4 majority in favor of KEEPING THINGS AS THEY ARE in perpetuity?…that with the changing of the guard and a new Mayor it merits a review of just where the issue of a smoking ban stands for 2012?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke was the ringleader to institute a comprehensive smoking ban in Vanderburgh County as a Commissioner and has vocally stated that this is an issue that he won’t just pledge to sign if the City Council musters the nerve to pass it but that he will rigorously lobby for it?…that this piece of leadership and a willingness to take a stand will come up early next year and may just set the tone to make some progressive moves in the Winnecke Administration?

IS IT TRUE that 1st Ward City Councilman Dan McGinn has expressed support for a comprehensive smoking ban?

IS IT TRUE that 2nd Ward City Councilwoman Missy Mosby collected signatures on a petition not to strengthen the smoking ordinance in 2010 and is expected to maintain her position?

IS IT TRUE that 3rd Ward Councilwoman Elect Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley has enthusiastically expressed support for a comprehensive smoking ban?

IS IT TRUE that 4th Ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson who has silently garnered enough support to be the next President of the Evansville City Council made one of the most inspiring speeches in casting her YES vote to strengthen the smoking ordinance in 2010 proclaiming “I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER”?…that after giving a speech with such conviction that Councilwoman Robinson will have some serious explaining to do if she changes her voter to NAY when the resolution is comprehensive?…that if Councilwoman Robinson is really “HER BROTHER’S KEEPER” that the businesses that were exempted from the last ordinance have many of her brothers working at them too?…that a YES vote is expected from Councilwoman Robinson for a comprehensive smoking ban?

IS IT TRUE that Councilman John Friend voted NO in 2010 on the basis that it was not comprehensive?…that he has consistently stated that he WILL support a comprehensive smoking ban?

IS IT TRUE that 6th Ward City Councilman Elect Al Lindsey in an unexpected move stated during his campaign that he supports a comprehensive smoking ban based on the fact that the rest of the world has already gone there so it is inevitable that Evansville should too?

IS IT TRUE that at-large City Councilman Dr. H. Dan Adams has been the heart and soul of the effort to institute the strongest smoking restrictions possible in Evansville for many years?…that Dr. Adams should be among the YES voters for a comprehensive smoking ban as that is the strongest restriction possible?

IS IT TRUE that at-large City Councilman Elect Conor O’Daniel while preferring baby steps to an eventual comprehensive smoking ban has expressed support to get there eventually and may jump on the bandwagon to be among the YES voters?

IS IT TRUE that at-large City Councilman Elect Jonathan Weaver had not expressed a decision to support a comprehensive smoking ban nor has he stated that he will not support it?

IS IT TRUE that the final tally for a comprehensive smoking ban appears to be minimally 6 votes AYE and 3 votes NAY, with the possibility of an 8 – 1 affirmative vote with Councilwoman Mosby as the only hold out?

IS IT TRUE that this assumes of course that these POLITICIANS DO NOT LIE?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

9 COMMENTS

  1. I prefer not to have government regulations be “my brothers keeper”. Let the market decide.

    • Exactly. Just pass an ordinance that a business must post a sign saying whether smoking is allowed or not.Don’t like smoke? Don’t go in.

  2. with the advent of the E-cigerette, the ban should have no trouble on passing and little effect on Nicotine addiction.

  4. Is anyone stupid enough to think that anything is going to change in this town, given the dominant political party that runs it? When the crooks in the Democratic Party want to get something done they do it behind closed doors, and the taxpayers (most of them Democrats) pay for it. We might as well be living in Iran or Syria.

  5. I can control whether I go into a place that allows Smoking. What I CAN’T control is when I pass a smoker when exiting a building, walking on public sidewalks, running through a park. It would make more sense to me to ban smoking in public places, much like banning public drunkenness, but I know it’s my pipe dream – pun intended.

    • A few states have done both Sam. You are correct that indoor bans have created some doorways that are quite smokey right outside of entrances. That is why the no smoking withing 25 feet signs are all over the place. Think about Main Street. It is not much more than 50 feet from storefront to storefront so a 25 foot no smoking barrier would essentially make the entire downtown smokefree.

      • What a pleasure that would be. No more sharing the smoke of EVERYONE who decides to saunter out of the non-smoking buildings and hang around the door puffing away. Also no more butts to litter the sidewalks or even worse, no more chew spit to slip on. UGH!

      • (C) Smoking is also prohibited within 25 feet outside any enclosed area where smoking is prohibited to ensure that tobacco smoke does not enter such enclosed area through entrances, windows, or ventilation. [Ord. G-2006-10, passed 6-20-06. 1983 Code § 9.80.02.]

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