And there is usually action in other quarters (usually left-of-center) that "this one issue" is somehow special and somehow exempt from any form of consistency. Mocking the argument won't change the facts. In the case of the smoking ban, it is the smoking ban proponents advocating for "worker safety," but only in this one sphere. Other worker "safety" issues don't really matter, it's just this one.....and it's a special case. If "worker safety" were a valid argument, there would be a movement to really make workers more safe....such as limiting noise. Last I checked, it wasn't happening.
Anyway, in terms of the "strict consistency" argument: We saw it with the truck idling nonsense a month or two ago. Trucks idling are bad, say some "neighborhood groups." Except busses. And utility trucks. And fire trucks. And backhoes. And federal government vehicles. What's left? The bad old Kemps trucks. It's like the exhaust from busses, utility trucks, fire trucks, backhoes and federal government vehicles somehow don't contain those nasty things that exhaust from produce and dairy trucks contain. The city council follows the illogic, all right, and picks and chooses issue that really aren't about, for example, "worker safety" or "the detrimental health aspects of idling trucks"........... rather the issues are picked based on political expediency. Mike Thompson Windom Life-long non-smoker ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Bernstein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Michael Thompson'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 4:28 PM Subject: RE: [Mpls] Smoking ban participation > AHA! It was bound to happen and it did! That old rhetorical hobgoblin > "strict consistency" gets injected into the debate about smoking > restrictions. > > There is in some quarters (usually libertarian, sometimes with > conservatives) a belief that if a policymaker does one thing, then it > must do certain other things as well in order to be "strictly > consistent". > > If the Minneapolis City Council prohibits smoking in bars and > restaurants to protect public health generally or worker health > specifically, it must also prohibit other things as well - to be > "strictly consistent"! Mike Thompson suggested in another post some > issues involving kitchen temperatures, mandated breaks, noise, and hours > of work need to addressed if the City Council prohibited smoking in bars > and restaurants. Now I don't know if any of those things need to be > addressed, maybe they do, but passing an ordinance prohibiting smoking > in those establishments does not require the city to enact ordinances > about those issues! > > Thankfully, members of the Minneapolis City Council are not persuaded by > that illogic. Recognizing that they have a responsibility to act when > public safety or public health are concerned, they can evaluate problems > and solutions independently as needed - without having to embrace the > silly notion that you must do this if you do that to be "strictly > consistent". > > If the decision by the City Council to prohibit smoking in bars and > restaurants came down to "personal convenience for a handful of people" > there would be no prohibition! The substantial evidence that second > hand smoke is a potentially serious health hazard for patrons and > especially workers, was the motivating and compelling issue. > > For the record, my favorite "strict consistency" line comes from the > deceased former senator from Mississippi, James "Slippery Jim" Eastland > who noted in 1962 that he would oppose any federal civil rights > legislation because: "Now if you go giving the Negro some of those > civil rights, next thing you know you'll be having to give them to > everybody." > > Jim Bernstein > Fulton REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
