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Council resurrects workplace smoking ban proposal

 IBJ Staff
November 10, 2009
Keywords
City Government, Government & Economic Development, Health Care & Insurance, Health Care & Life Sciences, Health care regulation, Smokefree workplaces, Smoking Ban, Workplace Issues
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Two weeks after reaching a stalemate on a proposal that would broaden the city’s workplace smoking ban, City-Council Council members voted Monday night to resurrect the measure.

The council is expected to take up the issue again at its Nov. 30 meeting.

Council members tabled the proposal, which would have prohibited patrons from lighting up in bars, bowling alleys and nightclubs, on Oct. 26 when it fell short of the 15 votes necessary to either pass or fail. The measure would have broadened an existing law that prohibits smoking in most public places, including restaurants that serve minors.

Democrat Joanne Sanders challenged the decision to table the issue, saying that violated city law because the measure did not get the 15 votes required to pass or kill an ordinance. Members voted 16-12 to reverse the decision to table the matter, and added the matter to their Nov. 30 agenda.

"It is alive and well," said Sanders, who voted in favor of the proposal last month.

Supporters had vowed to continue fighting for the stricter smoking ban, but didn’t expect the council to revisit the issue until early next year.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is reportedly among those opposing the measure.

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  • Challenge the ban...
    Michael J. McFaddenNovember 11, 2009 12:21 AM
    The question is whether you trust that the Antismokers are telling you the truth. I believe they are lying, and I believe I can PROVE they are lying. How? Simple: if they're telling the truth they should accept the two challenges below which have been publicly posted throughout the Indianapolis area and submitted formally to Indy's City Council and to the IndyStar as a response to a pro-ban editorial.

    The challenges are pretty simple: Survey the workers whose jobs will be affected by the ban. Antismokers say they want "protection" from secondhand smoke. A bi-partison well-designed secret-ballot survey would let the Antismokers prove their case and advance a ban... *IF* they're telling the truth.

    Of course they're not telling the truth and they know it: with all the thousands or even millions they spend on specially designed polls supporting bans they have never, never, NEVER done one of the bar workers they claim to be "protecting" ... because they know that they're lying.

    The second challenge is to back up their claim that the ban won't hurt business by guaranteeing to cover any losses out of their own pockets and budgets. Should be simple if they're telling the truth... and it would guarantee that business owners would drop their opposition to the ban... but will they guarantee such a thing? Perhaps using some of the Councilfolks' salaries and SmokeFreeIndy's 14 million dollar annual budget?

    Of course not. They know the ban will cost bars and even some bar-restaurants enormous amounts of money. They're lying when they say otherwise and they KNOW they're lying.

    Smoking bans are bad laws based on lies. When you challenge the antismoking lobbyists to stand behind their words they run faster than little girls from a flock of tarantulas.

    Michael J. McFadden
    Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • Go Away!
    George OrwellNovember 10, 2009 3:25 PM
    Like some little kid with ADS. Then again leftwing control freaks are a lot like that, aren't they?
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • Keep Your Earplugs
    BobNovember 10, 2009 10:21 AM
    Even passing a ban won't get rid of these arrogant lobbyists. They'll keep returning every year until ALL exemptions are gone. Here are their instructions.
    http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/CIA_Fundamentals.pdf
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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