Help Me Fight this Ordinance

[BobMills65]

Some Councilors will let the online poll dictate their vote.........VOTE NO TO THE ORDINANCE WORLDWIDE.......www.biddefordmaine.org and send an email to the City Councilors @ contactallcouncilors@biddefordmaine.org and the Mayor @ jtwomey@biddefordmaine.org. Please send this link out to all on your email lists that value individual and most importantly smoker's rights. www.biddefordmaine.org


Bob Mills
City Councilor, Biddeford, Maine, USA
www.millsofmaine.us


"Early this week, another option was added to the survey by Councilor Bob Mills, which asked residents if they preferred to not implement a ban on smoking at all. Mills said he is “adamantly opposed to the poll, which may dictate city policy.” He noted anyone may vote on the Web site, even if they are not Biddeford residents. To participate in the survey, visit Biddeford’s Web site, www.biddefordmaine.org. The June 17 meeting may also be viewed on the Web site by clicking the archived meeting calendar.

Mills said he plans to request a public forum during the July 1 council meeting to allow residents to express concerns or support for the ordinance. “I am going to be asking for, and sure I will receive, backing for a forum,” he said, adding there should have been an opportunity for the public to comment prior to the ordinance going to the council. “I am not of the opinion, nor do I support, passing things without public input.”

To view whole article click here:
http://blog.biddefordsacooobcourier.com ... -2008.aspx

[Harlow]

Survey page won't come up for me.

[BobMills65]

Survey page won't come up for me.

http://www.biddefordmaine.org

[BobMills65]

Survey page won't come up for me.

http://www.biddefordmaine.org

It pops right up into the survey....is it working for anyone else?

[Harlow]

Ok, got it and voted. We lead by a slim margin.

[BobMills65]

Ok, got it and voted. We lead by a slim margin.

very slim

[WinstonSmith]

Voted.

Thank you for stopping in to the Tavern an letting us know, Mr. Mills, and thank you for standing up.

[BobMills65]

Voted.

Thank you for stopping in to the Tavern an letting us know, Mr. Mills, and thank you for standing up.

Thank you, spread the word on your own email list as well.....

Bob

www.millsofmaine.us

[Harlow]

Bob, thank you for standing up for property rights and for alerting us to the Maine situation, so that we may help. I've posted the link over at the Smoker's Club and asked everyone there to vote today - it must be today, I've said.

[BobMills65]

Bob, thank you for standing up for property rights and for alerting us to the Maine situation, so that we may help. I've posted the link over at the Smoker's Club and asked everyone there to vote today - it must be today, I've said.

Thank you.....

We as a council won't be hearing this matter on July 1st after all, the mayor was pushing it, but it won't be until July 15th. That leaves plenty of time for folks to continue voting......I will be making the request to have a public meeting on July 1st though. Everyone in the world can watch the meeting as we do streamline live video of our council meetings. Log on and watch.....www.biddefordmaine.org

Bob

[gilster]

Bob, how long will this poll be open?

[gilster]

Also, because you are asking us to vote - what do you want for a result?

Just asking what you need

[gilster]

I am confused with your vote on June 3rd, please explain. Who decided to do a poll?:

2008.45 IN BOARD OF CITY COUNCIL..JUNE 3, 2008
BE IT ORDAINED, by the City Council of the City of Biddeford that the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 46, Parks and Recreation, Article IV Parks and Recreation Facilities be amended by changing the following:
Sec. 46.76.1 Tobacco-Free Recreational Facilities
Policy Statement for the establishment of the City of Biddeford’s Tobacco-Free Recreational Facilities.
· The Recreation Department has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our community's children and adults while they use the City's recreation facilities, and adopting the Tobacco-Free policy is part of this responsibility.
· Secondhand smoke is harmful in both indoor and outdoor settings. Exposure to secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in America. Secondhand smoke levels in outdoor public places can reach levels as high as those found in indoor facilities where smoking is permitted.
· Tobacco-Free policies are public park policies similar to those prohibiting alcohol use or littering in public parks and recreational facilities.
Benefits of the City of Biddeford’s Tobacco-Free Recreational Facilities
· Protects the health of youth and adults by eliminating exposure to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
· Encourages youth not to start using tobacco products.
· Demonstrates that adults want youth to remain tobacco-free and provides youth with positive role models.
Definitions:
(1) “Organized activity” means an event that has a defined time for starting and ending and is in a designated or permitted area of a City park. “Organized activity” includes athletic events, concerts, and special events such as arts fairs.
(2) “Park” includes recreational facility.
(3) “Tobacco” includes but is not limited to cigarettes, cigars, snuff, pipes and spit tobacco.
Rule:
(a) A person may not use any form of tobacco:
(1) in a restroom, at a spectator or concession area, public beach facility, or playground in any City of Biddeford park; or
(2) within 200 feet of an organized activity at a City of Biddeford park.
(b) (1) Enforcement:
(a) Recreation and Parks staff shall post appropriate signage: (1) in restrooms, and at spectator and concession areas, dog parks, aquatic facilities, and playgrounds; and (2) in locations at which organized activities take place.
(b) Recreation and Parks staff shall notify community organizations and distribute brochures to park users.
(c) Recreation and Parks staff shall monitor compliance.
(d) For any person who violates the tobacco-free rule, Recreation and Parks staff shall request that the person cease the use of tobacco and give a verbal warning. If the person refuses to cease, staff authorized by the Director may request that the person leave the park. Refusal of any person to leave the park as requested is considered a trespass, for which the police may enforce in accordance with State of Maine law.
NOTE: The Policy Committee considered this item at their May 22, 2008 meeting and voted 4 in favor, and one opposed, to recommend to Council for approval.

Motion by Councilor Laverriere, seconded by Councilor Lamontagne to grant the first reading of the order.

Motion by Councilor Staples, seconded by Councilor Gagnon to amend the order by striking “public beach facility” from Rule (a) (1).

Motion by Councilor Laverriere, seconded by Councilor Lamontagne to table the order back to the Policy Committee for further review.
Vote: 8/1; Councilor Flood opposed.
Councilors Boston, Staples, Fleurent, Deschambault, Mills, Laverriere, Gagnon and Lamontagne in favor. Motion carries.

[gary k]

'Exposure to secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in America. 'or so this proposed bill says.
......................
This statement is used quite a lot and is never backed up by stating what are the number 1,2,or 4 leading causes of preventable death,so that we may know what they are talking about.

Is anyone's death 'PREVENTABLE' in the long run??

Accidents might be said to be preventable,if accidents are #1 what is #2?

Which deaths are there that are only caused by exposure to SHS?
How do they determine if a death was only caused by SHS?
Since almost all diseases have more than one possible cause. how do they decide what percentage of a death was due to SHS?

Since these things are impossible to state or verify, there can be no proof for the statement 'Exposure to secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in America ' and the statement is a LIE!!!
Gary K.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/lcod.htm

Number of deaths for leading causes of death

Heart disease: 652,091

Cancer: 559,312

Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 143,579

Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 130,933

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 117,809

Diabetes: 75,119

Alzheimer's disease: 71,599

Influenza/Pneumonia: 63,001

Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 43,901

Septicemia: 34,136

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2005, Table C

[gary k]

This proposal says:
'Secondhand smoke levels in outdoor public places can reach levels as high as those found in indoor facilities where smoking is permitted.'
......................................................
That statement is so totally lame as to be beyond any rational person's ability to understand.

The only way you could show such nonsense would be to measure the air at the tip of an outdoor cigarette and compare that reading to the air at the tip of a cigarette in an indoor smoking permitted venue!!

It is unreal that someone would want to make such idiocy the law of a city!!

These people do not say that The ACS says or The ALA says, they want to go on record as being the ones to say such CRAP!!

UNBELIEVABLE

Gary K.