Stooge's son butting in

New York Daily News - ^ | October 9th, 2002 | DAVID SALTONSTALL

[aculeus]

The anti-smoking crusaders have a new stooge on their side.

The son of "The Three Stooges" ringleader Moe Howard has joined Mayor Bloomberg's fight to ban smoking in pubs and clubs, and will be one of several sideshows at tomorrow's City Council hearing - a three-ring circus in the making.

On one side will be Mr. Butts, a 6-foot-tall cigarette who will hand out Monopoly money on the City Hall steps - a symbol of Big Tobacco's economic interest in killing the mayor's bill, organizers said.

Mr. Butts' tag-team partners include Bloomberg, a barrelful of cancer specialists and, of course, Paul Howard.

Howard, whose dad died of lung cancer in 1977 at age 75, plans to present Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan) with a picture of his father in one of his slapstick antics.

"It is signed something like, 'Speaker Miller and members of the Council - please support this bill or, on behalf of my dad, I'll poke all your eyes out!'" Howard said recently.

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

But most of the testimony promises to be more serious, with proponents saying lives are at stake and bar owners predicting certain ruin for their families if the bill is approved.

Many bar owners are expected to raise the specter of the noise and trash that will usher in the new ban, as thousands of smokers take the party outside bars to have a quick smoke.

"Business will be down, fines will be up and compliance will be a pain in the neck," said Brian Rohan, an organizer for the United Restaurant & Liquor Dealers Association.

Bloomberg - who will testify at tomorrow's hearing, a rarity for any mayor - is expected to counter these arguments with his own bevy of statistics. Also on deck will be Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden and city Health and Hospitals Corp. chief Benjamin Chu.

The mayor, meanwhile, will have lunch today with Jeffrey Wigand, whose disclosures about the tobacco industry were retold in "The Insider."

Absent from the hearing will be Philip Morris, which apparently has decided to allow small bar owners to lead the charge.

Brendan McCormick, a spokesman for Philip Morris, said the company had communicated its opposition to the bill in other ways - mostly by reaching out to individual Council members, Council sources said.

"Our goal is to see some kind of reasonable legislation passed here," McCormick said. "We think that smoking bans go too far in restricting the choices of business owners."

[aculeus]

Stooge alert.

[catonsville]

His father died of lung cancer, probably had some emphysema too. An awful way to die, so I can see why he is involved.

[fone]

Hey Moe! Hey Larry!

Which IS it? Do they want to profit from ciggarette taxes or not?

Idiots.

[error99]

"...Howard, whose dad died of lung cancer in 1977 at age 75,..."
Wow, he had a good long life, doing the things he enjoyed doing.
What more can one ask for?

[MinuteGal]

The thing that bugs me is how passive the bar and restaurant owner are all over the country when their livelihoods are threatened. Sometimes I think they deserve what they get.

Despite token opposition and weak protests statements in the media, they appear to be too unorganized and apathetic to do some good ole-fashioned protesting and taking to the streets for their cause.

Why should anyone else take up their cause if they won't do it? If we here at FR can organize instant action on given issues, why can't they? Sheesh!

Leni

[error99]

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-h
a wise guy, eh?
whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop

[fone]

You got that right!

[fone]

Funny thing is, this is the first I've ever heard Moe, uh, procreated. Who is mommy?

[Sgt_Schultze]

Wouldn't it be fun if Philip Morris and other smoke-makers would withdraw distribution rights for its products inside of NYC. Then the city would be deprived of its addiction to nicotine while its citizens would become saved. Sure, NYC smokers could always go outside the city or state, but WTF, it would be great to hear the complaints from NYC politicos.

[Between the Lines]

Moe had two children: his first, Joan, and eight years later a son, Paul. He was married almost 50 years to his wife, Helen, who died six months after him on October 31, 1975.

[mass55th]

Sheesh! Both my parents died of lung cancer, having smoked Camel cigarettes their whole life. But unlike Mr. Howard, I don't blame the tobacco companies. My parents were intelligent folks, knew full well what the consequences could be and chose to keep their habit. They were adults and made the choice themselves. The tobacco companies didn't put the cigarettes in their hands, my parents did.

[demkicker]

Thank you for stating the obvious. If only everyone would take the emotions out of this issue, clearer heads would prevail. This is a freedom issue. Banning a legal product, even after making laws requiring business owners to separate smokers from non-smokers, is jack booted thuggery.

WAKE UP AND SPEAK UP, PEOPLE!

[error99]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your parents.
My dad (WWII vet), died of a heart attack at age 54 (30 years ago).
My mom is now 82, healthy, and has smoked for most of her life.
I wonder, just how long does the average Joe expect to live?
And just what are the politically correct causes of death, now-a-days?
Something is gonna get ya. - What's it gonna be?

[Rebelbase]

[highpockets]

I believe that the corrupt powers who seek to essential outlaw tobacco are now as I speak forging parternships with Chinese cigarette makers. So they will be positioned to use their current drug smuggling routes as conduits to sell high profit illegal smokes. Wait and see. It was done with alcohol, drugs, and in the not so distand future non-taxed tobacco.

[bandleader]

I'm surprised that he's not suing"Big Tobacco"for the death of his father!"Woo,Woo,Woo,Woo,Woo.Woo"!!Curly ids still my favorite!!!

[Great Dane]

The thing that bugs me is how passive the bar and restaurant owner are all over the country when their livelihoods are threatened. Sometimes I think they deserve what they get.

They believe it when someone tells them that a drop in business will be temporary, the smokers will become passive little lambs and accept the ban in no time...... but it doesn't happen.

[bandleader]

Hey,where have you been?They("RATS")want the money AND they want the issue!!!That's why I call them"LiboCrites"(and other names not nearly as polite)!!!!!