2 comment responses I just posted on San Angelo smoking ban articles

First one I posted was from the article Smoke-Free San Angelo plans fundraising rally:

in response to Gunner1:

Because your decision would affect the public health. Dah. "we should sit out side", if you were law enforcement, you would know that as entrapment. Because someones opinion does not fancy you, you refer to them as "silly little people" how mature of you. If you own a public bussiness. You should manage it proffessionaly. For example If you own a bar, you would not allow your employees to drink on the job nor would you drink and drive.

That's a horrible analogy to use, Gunner, and you should be very ashamed for saying that. Last time I checked, there has NEVER been one death certificate that has been issued due to secondhand smoke(SHS) exposure, and also normal levels of SHS inside businesses permitting smoking have been proven to be THOUSANDS of times safer than Occupational Safety and Health Administration's(OSHA) indoor air quality standards. Also, well renowned anti-smoking activist John Banzhaf's fraudulent agenda was exposed 12 years ago, when his organization Action on Smoking and Health(ASH) filed a lawsuit against OSHA due to his organization's selfish desire for them to issue a national rule that would've banned smoking in all private businesses(even including bars, private clubs, and casinos) nationwide. OSHA's response was that they would've issued a rule that only would require businesses to meet a minimal indoor air quality standard(and like what OSHA's indoor air quality standards still are today, which are thousands of times safer than any regular level of SHS inside a private business would measure).

Also, repeated junk science 'studies' claiming smoking bans(such as the infamous claims from anti-smoking groups that bans reduced heart attack rates in places like Helena, MT, and Pueblo, CO) reduce heart attacks are nothing more than a big joke:
http://mogasp.files.wordpress.com/201...
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19698233/SS...
http://pasan.thetruthisalie.com/modul...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1...
http://www.opposingthe-uk-smokingban....
http://www.ilba.net/cgi-bin/ILBA/info...
http://www.jacobgrier.com/blog/archiv...

Believe me when I say it is real all the damages smoking bans will cause to private businesses, as I've lived in both individual communities and states under comprehensive smoking bans, and I've seen the damage they can do to businesses that cater to smokers. Smoking bans are fine in truly public spaces(i.e. government buildings, public transit vehicles, etc.), but are NOT warranted whatsoever for private businesses. Especially when anyone against smoking already has the power to vote with their wallet against the already limited number of smoker-friendly businesses that remain, if its smoking policy bothers one so much. See through the lies that Smoke-Free San Angelo is inevitably already saying right now in regards to smoking bans and SHS, and please vote NO on Proposition #1.

Original article:
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/oct/13/smoke-free-san-angelo-to-hold-fundraising-rally/

Second comment I made, from the article OUR OPINION: For our health, we should ban public smoking(and I'm very disappointed and upset at the San Angelo Standard-Times for endorsing such a selfish smoking ban. although papers like the Indy Star, Chicago Tribune, and Columbia, SC's newspaper The State still take the cake, when it comes to newspapers that have written the most disgusting anti-smoking 'editorials' I've ever read):

in response to ilovesanangelo:

If the ordinance does pass, smokers will still go to bars & restaurants just like non smokers go to bars & restaurants right now. It's really not that big of a deal. This is coming from an actuall business owner who will be affected by the ordinance. No need to stand up for my rights. I got it under control. Speak for yourself... not for me.

Well written editorial. Not sure which way I will vote for sure. But I do appreciate the ST opinion.

I hate to say this, but as someone who's lived in multiple communities with local smoking bans, and currently living in one with a comprehensive ban including bars, casinos, and private clubs, that's not true for all businesses. Many mom-and-pop businesses have no choice but to ignore my state's(Illinois) smoking ban, just to stay in business. Not every business has room to build an outdoor patio, so that they can accommodate smokers they used to be able to accommodate throughout their establishment(if that owner had such a smoking policy), or in a designated area(usually by the bar area only, which I still think is a sufficient compromise that respects the rights of non-smokers).

If you don't believe me how much a state ban can affect independently owned(non-chain) businesses, please go check Smoke Choke Ohio out and see how many businesses have been reported on that state's website that continue to ignore Ohio's smoking ban to this day:
http://smokechoke.com/

Even though I'm not a San Angelo resident, I very strongly agree with the goal of Speak Out San Angelo to create an updated and fair San Angelo smoking ordinance that respects the rights of all private businesses, smokers, and non-smokers. Vote NO on Proposition #1.

Galveston council votes to keep ban changes

I'm glad the Galveston, TX city council members that had the balls to amend the smoking ban to exempt restaurant and bar outdoor patios, and inside bars and nightclubs(ALL of these were covered in the original ban that took effect in January 2010, before new amendments that weakened the ban to be fairer took effect earlier this month) held their ground, when Mayor Joe Jaworski tried to bully Galveston's city council to restore the stricter smoking ban that killed bar and nightclub business throughout that city, and was ignored by virtually all restaurants that had outdoor patios(and according to at least 2 online reports I read, I unfortunately can't remember the links to the original articles that stated this anymore). His attempt failed big time, with only councilmember Elizabeth Beeton supporting his pathetic proposal.

The only difference between Mayor Jaworski's failed(thankfully) proposal, versus the original Galveston ban that took effect January 2010, is that there would've only been an exemption for any restaurant and bar outdoor patio, plus there would've been a 5 foot smoke-free radius away from any door or window that wasn't part of a patio area. Congrats to the 4 Galveston councilmembers(Dianna Puccetti, Chris Gonzales, Steve Greenberg and Rusty Legg) for saying no to Mayor Jaworski's selfish proposal!

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/183510

Galveston, TX finally reverses their ban for bars, and becomes the 2nd Texas city to restore freedom of choice in 2010

It's way past time that more cities with total bans including bars should reverse them, and good to see at least another Texas city had the balls to ease a smoking ban that formerly applied to bars. This is the 2nd city in Texas in 2010 to make this decision, after Conroe, TX(north of Houston) did so earlier this year. Although the ban inside restaurants and workplaces will remain in effect after October 13th, the provision that banned smoking 15 feet from a door was revised to just 5 feet, and alcohol consumption is once again allowed in tobacco shops, along with indoor smoking in bars and clubs, if such a owner wishes to permit it. Galveston previously had one of THE most restrictive smoking bans in Texas, and their ban briefly was even more restrictive and prohibited smoking in tobacco shops, before a December 2009 smoking ban amendment passed. (but then still prohibiting alcohol consumption in such places) Up until this revision passed, smoking in all restaurants and bar patios was technically banned, although it was NEVER enforced, as witnessed by anyone who's ever watched the webcam for the restaurant The Spot. (and can be viewed at http://www.galveston.com/spotcam/ )

Almost forgot to say Pasadena, TX(an east suburb of Houston) did a similar ban reversal for deciding to remove bars from their smoking ban, which occurred 2-3 years ago. Bravo to Galveston's city council, and yay for the fact it overrode Mayor Jaworski's veto!

http://www.cityofgalveston.org/news/default.cfm?ID=4219
http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/225095-galveston-bar-owners-strike-back-at-smoking-ban-by-suing-city

Two additional articles I just found:
http://galvestondailynews.com/story/178330 (and wow, did Michael McFadden seriously own the idiot antis that commented in that comments section, up to 62 at the time I saw it)
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/09/smoking_ban_galveston_1.php

San Antonio bans smoking in all places, and didn't grandfather in restaurants w/vented smoking rooms(unlike Austin's ban)

I sadly was wrong about San Antonio's city council, in guessing how they would vote on this proposal. I should've anticipated the mayor(Julian Castro) would just remove the River Walk provision and the ones for other outdoor areas, just to get over the top with the swing council members he needed the support of to pass it. This San Antonio Current article published days before the vote on Thursday afternoon, ended up being 100% correct about the final vote:
http://sacurrent.com/news/story.asp?id=71441

The SA ban's effective date was delayed for 1 whole year, until August 19, 2011. One article, that included an interesting comment section(I especially couldn't help but go after anti-smoking zealot RBear's shameful comments):
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/council_adopt_tough_smoking_rules_101091934.html

Meant to post this in one of my comments on the mysanantonio article comment section and forgot, but the owner of one Dallas gay bar was so affected by the 2009 expansion of Dallas' city smoking ban to bars, that he is looking to sell the bar he owns, Illusions:
http://www.dallasvoice.com/the-smoking-ban-1-year-later-1020617.html

San Antonio smoking ban update

This proposal is so sweeping, that I'd be very surprised if their council doesn't reject this proposal when it comes up for a vote later this week. Of course you never know, I was extremely surprised when Galveston passed an extremely sweeping smoking ban last year, and that Conroe, TX(to my surprise) revised their comprehensive smoking ban later to exempt bars. Check out the latest post about it on the blog Off the Kuff:

http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=30351

interesting comment I found on a San Antonio smoking ban article

And this is one interestingly I didn't catch, when I read the article earlier. Anyway, it speaks volumes to what occurs when an entrepreneur can no longer legally cater to accomodating smoking customers inside, and this is one who has businesses(but unfortunately didn't specify the type of one he/she owns) in many communities throughout Texas, not just San Antonio:

"Unless you own a business that is to be affected by the proposed smoking ban, I would urge you to keep your opinion about economic impact to yourself. I do own a business, 19 of them, all over the State. I have been through smoking bans and have experienced the negative financial impact first hand. I have fired employees because of lost revenues. I order less product and therfore spend less with my vendors, vendors who rely on businesses such as mine. The existing impact studies are fatally flawed. They don't separate restaurants from bars, they don't even pulled the MB permits from new businesses. If you don't do that, of course they will show a positive trend. Again, I have lost one business in Houston and am poised to lose another, all because of smoking bans. If you don't believe we are in a recession, then pull your head out and look around. Small business can't take anymore. The loss of one job, is one to many. If you don't like smoke, stay out of the places that allow it. 97% of restaurants in San Antonio are already smoke free. You have plenty of choices. And, being over 18, you still have the right to make that choice."

By the way, this comment is from the very bottom of page 1(after clicking view all comments) of the article "Smoking ban protested" published July 6th on mySA:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/New_alliance_opposes_strengthening_smoking_ban_97827994.html