Posted on 07/27/2005 4:51:56 AM PDT by markomalley
Edited on 07/27/2005 5:08:11 AM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Smoking in restaurants in Prince George's County would be prohibited under legislation proposed yesterday by eight members of the County Council.
The legislation would impose a fine of as much as $200 for violations.
Council member Thomas R. Hendershot (D-New Carrollton), a former smoker, is the only member of the council who did not sign on as a sponsor.
Excerpt. Story follows: Washington Post
Folks, I need some help in FReeping the county council on this. Regardless of your attitude toward smoking, you should recognize that this is a clear overstepping of the government into the private property rights and individual liberty.
Members of the County Council can be located here. Please call, e-mail, write, etc. Let them know your opposition to this measure!
Believe it or not, there are FReepers living in PG County! They need your assistance!
Dude, do what I did about 7 years ago - Get the hell out of there!!!
In a related matter, didn't I see something on Fox News yesterday about New Jersey lawmakers looking to ban people smoking in their cars?
You can always move. Just don't come to Florida. We voted to remove that disgusting habit from restaurants statewide.
Hurricanes and queer days at Disney pretty much convinces me I didn't miss a thing in Florida.
Earlier this month I attended a wedding reception in Montgomery Co, Md. which is the next county to Prince George's Co. You couldn't smoke inside and weren't allowed to drink outside. It made me wonder why their County Council members weren't hanging from trees. I think that Maryland just has too high a concentration of federal government employees to ever break loose of this kind of nonsense.
PINGAROONIE!!
SheLion's got TONS of information on these things.
You are lucky as you still have a city council to influence. The tobacco Nazis put it on the ballot here in Florida and with 75% of non smokers voting (True Democracy at Work) smoking has been banned in all Florida restaurants and bars. Good luck my friend.
At least in Florida it was put up to a vote by the people instead of a small group of elected officials deciding what is best for the rest of us.
With all the crime in PGC one would think they should work on that first.
Disgusting habit? How about the spewing carcinogens coming from your car? By the way, stand alone bars aren't effected by that law. The only thing effected were people's rights! Yes rights! The right of the property owner to use his establishment as he or she sees fit! The non-smoking Nazi's don't have to go into an establishemnt that allows smoking if they don't wish! But, don't push your sanctimonious wishes and wants onto others! I love Florida...and still smoking in bars! Some lawsuits happening right now may change the non-smoking law. So, stand by and let's see what happens!
For some reason, I thought PG county was the most anti-smoking of them all, in the entire US! I thought you couldn't even smoke outside in Prince Georges.
At any rate, I'll send off something. Thanks!
As I recall the vote wasn't even close.
Poison yourself all you want. Leave those of us who don't want to breathe your smoke (and DAMN sure don't want our kids breathing it) in peace.
BTW, You'll never convince me. I'm an ex-smoker.
Different topic. Unless, of course, you leave your car running inside the restaurant.
For FReeping convenience, the e-mails of the 9 council members:
District 1
Thomas E. Dernoga
TEDernoga@co.pg.md.us
District 2
Will Campos
WACampos@co.pg.md.us
District 3
Thomas R. Hendershot
THendershot@co.pg.md.us
District 4
Douglas J.J. Peters
DJPeters@co.pg.md.us
District 5
David Harrington
DCHarrington@co.pg.md.us
District 6
Samuel H. Dean
SHDean@co.pg.md.us
District 7
Camille Exum
CAExum@co.pg.md.us
District 8
Tony Knotts
TKnotts@co.pg.md.us
District 9
Marilynn M. Bland
MBland@co.pg.md.us (note this e-mail isn't on the website, but it's probably that, or maybe MMBland@co.pg.md.us )
http://www.ornl.gov/info/press_releases/archive/mr20000203-00.html
Different topic. Unless, of course, you leave your car running inside the restaurant.
As soon as you start your car, you are polluting my air outside. Walk to where you're going and I'll have no problem. As far as the vote to stop smoking in Florida restaurants, it was 65-35 for banning smoking. My guess is that 65% of the voters didn't realize that they were taking rights away from property owners. Again, if you don't like being around smoke, then don't frequent places where smoking is allowed.
Nah, I'll do my polluting via my car. You keep on smoking...and start walking.
My guess is that 65% of the voters didn't realize that they were taking rights away from property owners.
There are those of us who figured OUR health is more important than the rights of others to harm themselves, us, and our kids. Second-hand smoke is an ADDED pollutant. (X=ambient pollution, SS=Second hand smoke. X < X+SS. Very simple.)
Again, if you don't like being around smoke, then don't frequent places where smoking is allowed.
Better still, collect enough signatures to keep people from making every restaurant smell "Bar-room Fresh."
Smoking in public is, IMO, slightly less disgusting than crapping in the street. If it ever becomes an issue, I'll vote against people doing that too!
I've lived in PG County all my life. I've rarely dined in restaurants within the county. And I can wait until after I've dined, had dessert and coffee before lighting up.
This idea, like taxing cigarettes to the nth degree will fail over time. Due to the Dems using data from all "restaurants" (Even those whose stock-in-trade is "Call-In" and Carry Out") within the county to back a smoking ban. When none of their customers would smoke in their business anyway.
Perhaps, this idea of a $200.00 fine was actually cooked up to augment the annual loss of tax revenues from cigarette sales within the county and state. Since more and more are using the Net to buy their smokes.
Jack.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.