tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044318737317983833.post3451465419162499429..comments2023-06-08T04:15:43.908-05:00Comments on The Lost Albatross: More smoke and mirrorsEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393762115493350763noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044318737317983833.post-55138295441078068122008-03-07T14:27:00.000-06:002008-03-07T14:27:00.000-06:00AL - While I'm inclined to agree with you, there's...AL - While I'm inclined to agree with you, there's one big fat problem that I have with Decker's proposal that's not the implementation date:<BR/><BR/><I><A HREF="http://www.madison.com/tct/news/276061" REL="nofollow">In a news release Thursday</A>, Decker noted that the League of Municipalities, Wisconsin Towns Association and Wisconsin Alliance of Cities are now on board with his proposal to push back a ban on smoking in taverns and restaurants until July 1, 2011. Workplaces and restaurants that do not sell alcohol would have to ban smoking by June 1, 2009.<BR/><BR/>Smoke-free advocates, including Gov. Jim Doyle, wanted a comprehensive ban on smoking in all public places, including bars and restaurants, this year, but are now backing Assembly and Senate bills with implementation dates of 2009. The League of Municipalities last spring backed the Senate proposal, but this week voted to support Decker's proposal, which would also <B>prevent any municipality from enacting its own smoke-free laws during the approximate three years until the statewide ban is implemented.</B></I><BR/><BR/>Decker and co. not only want to push back the ban by a couple of years, but they want to take away a community's right to implement a ban on their own in that time. That's pretty shitty.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11393762115493350763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044318737317983833.post-40373808576962403532008-03-07T12:18:00.000-06:002008-03-07T12:18:00.000-06:00Here's the operative word in the above comment: "...Here's the operative word in the above comment: "most cities of any size." Although there is some resistance from Milwaukee, it's mostly from rural areas.<BR/><BR/>And secondly, what the anti-smoking groups should have realized is that it's not a choice between a bill that starts in 2010 and one that starts one or two years later. It's a choice between the one that starts later, or starting over from scratch next session. Period. Personally, I'd rather have it in the bag, even if it has to wait a while, than start from scratch in Jan. 2009.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13160204942254512253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044318737317983833.post-62193810272446330462008-03-06T20:21:00.000-06:002008-03-06T20:21:00.000-06:00Here's the weird thing: I don't remember this much...Here's the weird thing: I don't remember this much Sturm und Drang when NYC decided to pass its smoking ban. I was smoker then so I wasn't exactly jumping up and down with joy. But people seemed to realize it was the reasonable thing to do and that, yeah, it was probably time we quit. Or at least went outside so we weren't blowing smoke all over everyone else. New York, Chicago -- Paris, for goodness sakes -- most cities of any size are moving in this direction. I don't get why it's such an uphill battle here.jen xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17213327135265688914noreply@blogger.com