Texas: New smoking ordinance passed

News8Austin ^ | 11-1-03

[SheLion]

The Austin City Council passed a new smoking ordinance effective Feb. 2.

The ordinance allows smoking in public places as long as the owner gets an annual $300 permit.

Some bars, such as the Fox and the Hound, said the ordinance goes too far, while health advocates like the American Cancer Society said it's actually a step back.

"I don't think anyone can contest the dangers of second hand smoking. It's all been said. It's all been done. I think today was purely an example of a shift between public health and politics," Rodney Ahart of the American Cancer Society said.

The city is also trying what it calls "First Monday." No smoking will be allowed in bars and music venues on the first Monday of the month beginning Feb. 2. The East Sixth Street Community Association said it is willing to participate and see how "First Monday" works.

"Everyone has to give in this deal and certainly we gave more than anyone because we're giving up some of our rights. We're also climbing onto bigger costs to make our locations where they can have smoking," said Bob Woody of the East Sixth Street Community Association.

[SheLion]

Texas has more sense then Florida. Let the business owner's make up their minds about what to do with the smoking issue. NOT the lawmakers!

[SheLion]

Yea for Texas!!!

[Eala]

The ordinance allows smoking in public places as long as the owner gets an annual $300 permit.

And that $300 relates to smoking... how?

Looks like another government money grab. Next year, when they need want more money, watch that fee go up.

[Leisler]

"I don't think anyone can contest the dangers of second hand smoking. It's all been said. It's all been done. I think today was purely an example of a shift between public health and politics," Rodney Ahart of the American Cancer Society said."

Just the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and all honest epidemiologists.

[yoe]

C.Evert Koop was the vain, pompous Surgeon General under the Clinton Special Interest years who pushed the lies along with facts (very few) about smoking. Second hand smoke was never, ever a problem; as with Global Warming, it was a trumped up charge that was scientifically flat! Our forests etc. have taken the same hit from Clinton/Gore’s exploiting the EPA for political gain and the EPA has loved it. Now that common sense under President Bush, is being allowed to gain a foot hold, maybe our forests and towns will not burn to the ground. Not all environmentalists are whack-o’s but enough with deep pockets are; they can look at blackened CA now and except their fait – the end of a runaway EPA!

Hoo-ray for Texakins!

[gnawbone]

The only problem I see with this is that the lawmakers saw an opportunity to coerce $300 from each business. What exactly is the $300 cost per business that the city of Austin thinks it needs to be reimbursed for?

I think a better response by the City of Austin would have been to tell all of the citizens, "We're pro-choice here in Austin, you choose whether or not you want to go into The Fox and The Hound. Oh, and by the way, there might be smokers in there!"

[sharkhawk]

Uh, Koop was the Reagan vain pompous Surgeon General. Of course he was much better the Jacquelyn Elders, who was Clinton's Surgeon General. I heard some Dim on the radio last night who said Koop, made the statement that Nicotine was 10 times more addictive than heroin. My reply to some idiocy such as that is always, OK I'll let my 16 year old smoke a Cigarette, you let your 16 year old shoot up.

[Madame Dufarge]

I think a better response by the City of Austin would have been to tell all of the citizens, "We're pro-choice here in Austin, you choose whether or not you want to go into The Fox and The Hound. Oh, and by the way, there might be smokers in there!"

Sure that would have been a better response, but then how would the city of Austin redistribute the owners' money to itself?

When, given an opportunity, has a bureaucrat ever cut himself out of a revenue stream?

[metesky]

The cost of just such a license has risen 300% in the seven years we've lived in Maine.

[SheLion]

Looks like another government money grab. Next year, when they need want more money, watch that fee go up.

Oh yes! Now they figured out how to get in the back door and still make more money. I sometimes wonder what these people are smoking?

[SheLion]

C.Evert Koop was the vain, pompous Surgeon General under the Clinton Special Interest years who pushed the lies along with facts

Koop and David Kessler were ask to testify at the tobacco hearings. When they found out they had to "tell the truth," they didn't testify.

Koop is now a bankrupt old man.

[SheLion]

My reply to some idiocy such as that is always, OK I'll let my 16 year old smoke a Cigarette, you let your 16 year old shoot up.

[SheLion]

The cost of just such a license has risen 300% in the seven years we've lived in Maine.

And all for naught come January when this new smoking ban kicks in, metesky.

[Arrowhead1952]

Looks like another government money grab.

posted a similar article from the Austin paper yesterday. The corrupt city council Austin had when the original ordinance passed was comprised of several left leaning, power hungry liberals. This is not the end of this smoking ban, by any means.

They (along with Capital Metro) tried to force light rail onto Austinites. Fortunately, it was voted down. Now they (Capital Metro) are trying to bring it up again. They said "the voters don't know what's good for them, so we will have a PR campaign for two years and put it back on the ballot".

Only in Austin. The city with the slogan "KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD" and it fits.

[lodwick]

Whew!

Good on our nitwits: first they denounced the patriot acts,
and now they do somewhat right for property rights.

Cheers, SL

[yoe]

Thanks! I didn't know that - he had such a high profile during the Clinton years I just assumed he was Clinton's S.G. even though I knew J. Elders was later on in that administration. Those were the years Reno et al attacked our own like Bill Gates and big tobacco.

In looking up Koop, I found an interesting blurb that apparently CBS didn't find while doing the Reagan series.

"...As the Nation began to recognize AIDS as a new and deadly disease, Koop eventually became the chief Federal spokesperson on AIDS. After remaining silent on AIDS for several years, President Reagan asked Koop to prepare a report on AIDS early in 1986. For the next 9 months, Koop worked on this report, writing much of it himself. The report, released on October 22, 1986, was explicit, nonjudgmental, controversial, and popular. It contributed significantly to providing accurate, comprehensive information on this frightening disease. Koop also personally penned "Understanding AIDS," the PHS brochure based on CDC guidelines that was sent to all 107 million households in the United States in 1988, the largest public health mailing ever done. Koop’s frank statements about AIDS and his treatment of it as a public health rather than a moral issue won him many admirers, but his approach was not welcomed in all circles and he lost the support of many who had originally backed his appointment."

[tahiti]

"I don't think anyone can contest the dangers of second hand smoking. It's all been said. It's all been done."

Oh, there is a lot to say to contest the dangers of second hand smoke.

I am the oldest of 5 children who grew up in a family household where both parents smoked cigarettes constantly.

Not only in the house but also in an automobile with the windows up in the winter and summertime.

My parents smoked between 1-2 packs of cigerettes a day.

It could be said my brothers and I were exposed to massive amounts of second hand smoke.

We are now in our late 40's and early 50's of age and none of us have suffered any physical ailments from the exposure of second hand smoke.

Many of my parents friends, business assoicates, and my atheletic coaches smoked cigarettes. Plus I smoked as well, even in high school, on the high school grounds, in a room which was called the "smoking lounge" specifically designated for those of us who did smoke.

Again, a high exposure to second hand smoke and no ill physical affects.

[Mears]

Wow,that's good news!!!!!!!

[Mears]

Tahiti.so help me God if I didn't know better I'd think one of my five kids wrote your post # 17.

Here's old Grammy still puffing away and enjoying life to the fullest!!!!

[Mears]

C Everett Koop was the psycho who always dressed in his general's uniform because he was the Surgeon General.

I always felt faintly embarassed for him when he appeared on TV----he looked like an idiot.