Has anyone heard about this smoking ban?
I personally do not smoke, but it seems to be a question of civil rights for at least the business owner, if not the customers.
The city council is meeting on Thursday night regarding implementing this ban, WITHOUT, a public vote. I just learned of it tonight, and will try to attend, but I thought there might be other WPTC residents that might want to be there also.
If this passes, I think there is a positive. Maybe it will slow down all the growth that the city council is forcing upon us.

FYI
:)

By Beth

Re: Smoking ban

I think this is nonsense.
Do our elected officials have anything else better to do than dictate to us?
And not even let the voters decide? What nerve. Really, who do they think they are?
For that fact alone these people should be removed from their positions. I hope someone runs against these clowns and exploits this issue because even though I am NOT a smoker I believe most people would agree that govt need not encroach further on us to protect us from ourselves.

While I can understand the ban in govt buildings, the rest should be the decision of whoever owns the buildings or businesses. Many buildings already have a designated smoking area outside and do not allow smoking.
If you dont like the smoke coming from the smoking section of Restaurant A, then vote with your dollar and dine at Restaurant B where it is a non smoking restraurant.

smoking

''Do our elected officials have anything else better to do than dictate to us?'' The answer is no. But everyone knows smoking is dumb. If you want to smoke and maybe end up with one lung stay at home or in your car and smoke away. You don't have the right to go in to a place of business and smell like crap do you? Then why should you be able to go in to a place of business and smoke? Let me add Smelling like crap never killed anyone. I get where your coming from though: let the business owners have a say. While we are at it lets have them have a say about how clean a kitchen may be not the health dept. Or maybe you want to dump some toxic waste on your property.. Why shouldn't you be allowed if your neighbor don't mind living next to it. I used to smoke anything that would burn but if it is going to effect someone elses health i don't see why it should be allowed anywhere the public will be visiting. If you still feel differently then lets start removing the handicap signs from parking lots and remove all these handicap bathrooms if we want. If they can't get their wheelchair in the place ''Oh well'' they should go somewhere they can fit the chair in.


By Marc Piovanetti

Petition to vote on the ban

I just learned that there is a petition being circulated to stop the ban and let the public vote on it. Whether or not you agree with the ban I believe it should be up to the voters, not 5 members of the council. The way it stands now the council can make any changes to it that they see fit. Keep in mind, this is the same council, that condemned land for a baseball facility in a ''private'' meeting, and would not let the public speak. Then proceeded to raise the tax in restaurants to 11.3%. We have to let them know that we want a say in what happens, in our town.

If you are interested in signing the petition contact Mr. James Marshall at 975-2185.

By Beth