I recommend Ed Felien's article in the Pulse to all as essentail background to the "Smoking Ban" debate in Minneapolis. Note especially the powerful financial grip big tobacco continues to exert over the hospitality industry through numerous forms of subsidies from big tobacco -- incentives, special deals, state-level lobbying completely paid for by big tobacco.
Note that big tobacco -- so proud of its farcical "quit smoking" programs -- undoes those programs by focusing on encouraging smoking in bars frequented by young patrons. Do our mayor, City council members, and even representatives to the state legislature really have the courage to stand up to big tobacco, and to clearly connect the dots as to how big tobacco quietly seduces and manipulates individuals, the hospitality industry, and subverts the political process to maximize profit from its toxic profit? That seems to me to be the critical question in this debate. Will we see political leadership slink back into submission in the background, or simply address the issue of violence perpetuated by this notoriously criminal industry? I do not oppose all uses of tobacco any more than I oppose all uses of alcohol or marijuana. I do oppose the violence of our drug-and-petroleum-drunk culture, which denies and excuses all manner of death and suffering caused by our multiple addictions. A smoking ban in those commercial venues which remain firmly in the grip of the tobacco industry seems to me to be a much-needed remedy for an aggressive cancer which has held sway in our culture for far too long. We were all lied to for many years about tobacco and the tobacco industry. Now it is time to acknowledge and act upon the truth. To do less is to become complicit in the continued sickening and killing of many who are seduced into the smoking addiction, and of many who do not choose to smoke. The tobacco war is very real, with very real "collateral damage." We are in a war with our own multiple addictions. We Americans happen to be the greatest terrorist threat on the planet, reeling drunkenly from one violent act to the next, with all the self-righteousness of an addict in deep, desperate denial. Do we soak ourselves in alcohol and tobacco as a way to keep our violent planetwide binge going? Who is winning the tobacco war, indeed. I've included a link to/quote from the Pulse article below my signature. pedaling for peace and eco-justice from Kingfield neighborhood -- Gary Hoover Below this link to the Pulse article is a particularly relevant quote from Ed Felien's article in the Pulse. http://pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=1089 (snip) There are strong incentives for bars and restaurants to support the tobacco industry. When we studied the tobacco influence carefully a few years ago, we found that tobacco companies were willing to pay $10,000 a year to bars popular with young people just to be allowed to put some of their signs up on the walls. They give special carton rates to bars to feature their brand, and they come into the bars on a regular basis to give away cigarettes and gear. The tobacco industry knows that many young people begin smoking cigarettes for the first time when they go out to a bar to hear music and meet other young people. Young people want to be seen as daring and willing to take a chance, and they believe they'll live forever. Most of them believe they only smoke when they go out to bars, but many of them end up addicted for life. We decided when we began Pulse seven years ago that we wouldn't take cigarette advertising. It was a bad drug and we'd seen too many friends die from it. We wondered how much money City Pages was making from cigarette advertising, and, in the two years we tracked it, we estimated they made a million dollars a year from cigarettes. The most insidious advertising were the newspaper bar ads sponsored by Camel or Marlboro. Bar owners didn't pay anything to get featured in expensive ads that promoted their upcoming shows. It was all part of the package. Also part of the package was lobbying at the State Capitol. The hospitality industry lobbies for both liquor and tobacco, and the tab is picked up by the tobacco interests. It was a no-brainer for bar owners: cash for posters in the bar, special discounts on cartons, free advertising and high-powered lobbyists at the State Capitol. What's not to like? (snip) REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
