on 11/18/06 2:06 AM, jamie petroskas at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > What other forms of assault have they banned? > They did not ban assault. Rich people can still smoke in their children's bedrooms. They singled out people who cannot afford detached homes, ($800K+ in Belmont).
Harland Harrison Apartment 525 Belmont CA LP of San Mateo CA > > On 11/16/06, Victor Bozzo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> >> Printed from THE DAILY JOURNAL, dtd. 11/15/2006 >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Belmont to be first U.S. city to ban all smoking >> By Dana Yates, Daily Journal Staff >> >> >> Belmont is set to make history by becoming the first city in the nation to >> ban smoking on its streets and almost everywhere else. >> The Belmont City Council voted unanimously last night to pursue a strict >> law that will prohibit smoking anywhere in the city except for single-family >> detached residences. Smoking on the street, in a park and even in one's car >> will become illegal and police would have the option of handing out tickets >> if they catch someone. >> >> The actual language of the law still needs to be drafted and will likely >> come back to the council either in December or early next year. >> >> "We have a tremendous opportunity here. We need to pass as stringent a law >> as we can, I would like to make it illegal," said Councilman Dave Warden. >> "What if every city did this, image how many lives would be saved? If we can >> do one little thing here at this level it will matter." >> >> Armed with growing evidence that second-hand smoke causes negative health >> effects, the council chose to pursue the strictest law possible and deal >> with any legal challenges later. Last month, the council said it wanted to >> pursue a law similar to ones passed in Dublin and the Southern California >> city of Calabasas. It took up the cause after a citizen at a senior living >> facility requested smoke be declared a public nuisance, allowing him to sue >> neighbors who smoke. >> >> The council was concerned about people smoking in multi-unit residences. >> >> "I would just like to say 'no smoking' and see what happens and if they do >> smoke, [someone] has the right to have the police come and give them a >> ticket," said Councilwoman Coralin Feierbach. >> >> The council's decision garnered applause from about 15 people who showed >> up in support of the ordinance. One woman stood up and blew kisses to the >> council, another pumped his fist with satisfaction. >> >> "I'm astounded. I admire their courage and unanimous support," said Serena >> Chen, policy director of the American Lung Association of California. >> >> Chen has worked in this area since 1991 and helped many cities and >> counties pass no smoking policies, but not one has been willing to draft a >> complete ban. >> >> "I feel like the revolution is taking place and I am trying to catch up," >> Chen told the council. >> >> The decision puts Belmont on the forefront of smoking policy and it is >> already attracting attention from other states. >> >> "You have the ability to do something a little more extraordinary than >> Dublin or Calabasas. I see what they've done as five or six on the Richter >> Scale. What the citizens of Belmont, and of America, need is five brave >> people to do something that's a seven or eight on the Richter Scale," said >> Philip Henry Jarosz of the Condominium Council of Maui. >> >> "The whole state of Hawaii is watching" he said. >> >> Councilman Warren Lieberman said he was concerned the city will pass a law >> it cannot enforce because residents will still smoke unless police are >> specifically called to a situation. Police cannot go out and enforce smoking >> rules, he said. >> >> "It makes us hypocrites by saying you know you can break the law if no one >> is watching," Lieberman said. >> >> However, both Feierbach and Warden argued it is the same as jaywalking, >> having a barking dog or going 10 miles over the speed limit. All are >> illegal, but seldom enforced. >> >> "You can't walk down the street with a beer, but you can have a >> cigarette," Warden said. "You shouldn't be allowed to do that. I just think >> it shouldn't be allowed anywhere except in someone's house. If you want to >> do that, that's fine." >> >> Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]<dana%40smdailyjournal.com>or by phone: (650) 344-5200 >> ext. 106. What do you think of this story? Send >> a letter to the editor: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]<letters%40smdailyjournal.com> >> . >> >>
