SMOKE - AND FIRED

TheNewYorkPost ^ | 2 October 2002 | DAVID SEIFMAN

[SheLion]

A top Housing Authority official has smoked himself out of an $80,000-a-year job.

After consulting with the mayor's office, Housing chairman Tino Hernandez yesterday ordered the immediate firing of Robert Swinton, the deputy director of the Office of Facility Planning, one of five employees spotted by a Post reporter last week in extended smoking sessions outside the agency's headquarters at 250 Broadway.

[SheLion]

This is stealing. It should be dealt with seriously.

Shopping cheap is the American Way.  Why do you think they made Wal-Mart!

Shop Cheap.  It's our Civic Duty!

[FreedomPoster]

You must be a leftist, with that arguing style. Ad hominem is so DU.

It's a general comment, and it holds. It isn't universally true, but is certainly generally so. My experience is that in a gathering of educated professionals, smoking is very rare. Versus, say, a gathering of hair stylists and factory workers, where smoking is much more common.

Truth hurt?

[VRWC_minion]

I think you missed the point. Its not relevant what activity these employees were engaged in while away from the job. They were stealing from their employer. Stealing is very serious and should be dealt with accordingly.

Anything less than dismissal is wrong especially for the folks who put in full day.

Also, the employer should sue for a refund of its overpaid wages.

[ladyinred]

"They'll all go through due process. That might lead to termination. It might lead to something else," said Marder.

Like what else? The death penalty perhaps? Pretty vicious crime these people perpetrated.

[SheLion]

"FreedomPoster" eh? The above response reeks of forceful liberal socialism that has nothing to do with freedom or common sense. BTW John Adams and alot of the other founding fathers enjoyed a pipe once in a while too...I wouldnt call them uneducated.

Thank you! Edison smoked. Picasso smoked. And I would bet that ALL of our Founding Fathers smoked. And they all lived to be old men, unless they got shot.

[lewislynn]

NEW YORK CITY SMOKERS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE ECOMOMY -2001

Only smoke filled brains would suggest that taxes would contribute to the economy.

What you are doing is funding the adavancement of the socialist agenda.

[FreedomPoster]

So where's the forceful liberal socialism in our banning smoking in our *private* consulting engineering business? I disagree strongly with, say, Bloomberg's banning smoking in private businesses in NYC.

Just because I have the freedom to determine workplace rules you don't like, doesn't make me a socialist. BZZZT! Try again.

[SheLion]

There is not enough money on this planet to get me to live in NYC.

He really is a BloomingIdiot! The man just can't handle his position. It turned him into a control freak! His way or the HWY!

Someone wrote in about this:

EDITORIAL: GET A GRIP, MIKE   Source: New York Post, 2002-10-24

Intro: As the letter points out, the elder Swinton apparently didn't exceed the legitimate daily time off a city worker is permitted (a total of 90 minutes, covering lunch and coffee breaks): The real reason that Swinton was fired was because he was caught - by a Post photographer - smoking.

In the brave new Bloomberg world, there apparently is no greater sin.

Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clear that the mayor's anti-smoking campaign is rooted in a disturbing obsession. . .

Bodegas - as successful small businesses - send a signal to a community about hard work, entrepreneurship and attaining the American Dream.

If they go out of business, the general quality of life in those neighborhoods will seriously suffer - to say nothing of the impact on overall city tax revenue. . .

Mayor Bloomberg needs to understand that his obsession is out of control.

He needs to remember what he once understood as a businessman: Oppressive city regulations can choke businesses and undermine the economy.

And then he needs to reinstate Bob Swinton - who broke no rules, and who most certainly committed no crime.

[FreedomPoster]

And there's substantially more medical information about the damage done by smoking, than was known when any of those notables were alive. You're grasping at straws. Or butts.

[SheLion]

Get a hobby. Better yet, start a business, hire only smokers, pay them by the hour and tell them they can go out and smoke, or even run errands to their hearts content during work hours.

I wish YOU would get another hobby besides coming in here and trashing decent people just because we purchase a legal commodity. heh!

[VRWC_minion]

Breaks and lunch are two different time periods. Its like saying you used your sick time for breaks. In fact many states have laws requiring minimum lunch breaks so that it isn't up to the employee or the employer to swap his time.

[SheLion]

Also, the employer should sue for a refund of its overpaid wages.

My mistake. I didn't know to which you were referring.

In my opinion, if a person has all that time to take breaks, then there is not enough work for that person.

When I was busy at work, I didn't even think about taking a cigarette break! The minute things slowed down, then and only then would I step outside for a break.

If a person has that much time on their hands, they aren't busy enough or they work like hell when they do!

[VRWC_minion]

THen if you agree with the essence of the penalty why take up their cause ? Not everything that mentions tobbaco is a reason for your support.

[Teacher317]

"Don't believe the lies of the tobaco industry, believe ours"

Shouldn't that the tag-line for those annoying www.WhiteLies.com commercials?

Non-smoker bump for smokers' rights!

[JoeSixPack1]

Speaking of LUNGS......

I just had a lung test where you put a 2" pvc pipe in your mouth and the nurse tells you to breath normally??!?!?!? (yeah right)


Anyway - 37 years of smoking and I have a 98% lung usage capacity. After the test results my VA Dr. finally stopped raggin on me to quit! :-) Until the test she intimated to me that all my med probs were because I smoked. Now she's treating each problem for the problem that it is and life is good!.

[SheLion]

You must be a leftist, with that arguing style. Ad hominem is so DU.

I'm not going to get into a whissing contest with you. You have showed your backside. Plus, you made my list!

[VRWC_minion]

Should a smoker-teacher be able to skim 69 minutes off of his morning classes just because he smokes ?

[SheLion]

THen if you agree with the essence of the penalty why take up their cause ? Not everything that mentions tobbaco is a reason for your support.

I think an LOR would have been a good start. Not outright firing. The man did work there for a long time.

[VRWC_minion]

FWIW, my father-in-law lay dying for months from lung cancer. Very painful. Even after doing all the tests they could they didn't know it was lung cancer until his autopsy.

[VRWC_minion]

What if he stole $35 from petty cash ?