Belmont, CA -- It's not law yet, but the city of "Backwards Belmont" in California wants to ban smoking in privately owned condos and apartments. Even if you paid half a million dollars for your own condo, the city government can tell you you are not allowed to engage in a legal activity - smoking - in your own home! Of course it's just some dumb b!tch, Mayor Coralin Feierbach, who simply doesn't like the smell of smoke and wants to play Hitler in her little city and tell people where and when they can smoke.
The story from San Jose Mercury News:
The long-smoldering battle over Belmont's proposed anti-smoking ordinance could flare up one more time before it goes on the books.
After voting 3-2 to approve the ordinance Sept. 11, the Belmont City Council was scheduled to finalize it without further discussion at its meeting Tuesday.
But because of some changes city staff made to the ordinance following its initial approval, another public hearing is needed.
The most significant of those changes is a 14-month grace period for smokers living in apartments and condominiums. There also have been a few tweaks to the "reasonable distance" clause that requires smokers to stand 20 feet from any entrance to a non-smoking facility.
The ordinance makes it illegal to smoke in indoor and outdoor workplaces, public spaces such as parks and sports fields, and, most controversially, inside condominiums, townhouses and apartments.
Mayor Coralin Feierbach, who helped push the ordinance, said she hopes Tuesday's discussion will be brief.
"There's just a few things that need to be corrected," she said.
However, Councilman Warren Lieberman, who first voted against the ordinance Sept. 11, hopes to air misgivings one more time.
"My concern primarily is that we take too hard-line an approach to prohibiting smoking in apartments," Lieberman said. "The fact that if you smoke in your apartment you could be evicted - the penalties are just too excessive."
Feierbach, who sees banning smoking in apartments as a key to protecting residents from secondhand smoke, said she won't be swayed by Lieberman's objections.
"My vote stands as is," Feierbach said.
The Belmont City Council is scheduled to meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Belmont City Hall, One Twin Pines Lane.
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3 comments:
Feierbach has the support of two other nazis on the council. I would hope that this tyranny would not survive legal challenge, as it is brazenly unconstitutional. If it does. we don't have a constitution.
For quite sometime, I have been stewing about the cigarette bans and the nicotine nazi's rule over us. what I want to talk about here is alcohol. Before you click this off, read on...I have never seen anyone kill a carload of people because of cigaretts. I have never seen domestic violence, or people run over by drivers under the influence of cigaretts. I agree smoking is not healthy. I am a smoker and I know how it makes me feel, but honestly this battle as far as I can see, is being approached the wrong way. To make a point, you have to hit the powers that be in the wallet. Thats where it hurts the most. Our society and congress as well as the house, absolutely will not give up their cocktail lunches, so drinking is in. We smokers need to come out strong and hard and tell the world that if smoking is unhealthy, and second hand smoke is unhealthy, fine, but alcohol is worse by far. Second hand car accidents, and murders behind alcohol is just as bad. When we make that point and lobby against alcohol, those who drink will get scared and let go of this situation with cigarettes. Right now, they have the best of both worlds. They can drink and keep us from smoking. We have the leverage. We have the power. When we fight for laws against alcohol, the multi-million dollar booze business' will start making noise for the law to change regarding smokes. This is what we have to do...If they do not give us our rights back, then the gloves are off...Alcohol is as dangerous if not more than cigarettes ever were.
1. no drinking in restaurants
2. no drinking 20 feet from a
a building.
3. No alcohol served in bars
What goes for smokers goes for drinkers as well. See what I mean? These people wont quit until we attack the alcohol makers and those who drink. Its time to TURN UP THE HEAT.
There are a couple of towns in California thinking about banning smoking in apartments. Here is a poll for what you think: http://www.apopularitycontest.com/display_poll.php?ID=6283
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