Today Roger Johnson of the Ramsey Medical Society, Corine Ertz of the American Cancer Society, Amy Gilbert, Physician with the Family Tree Clinic and I did a press conference calling on the mayor to sign the smokefree bar and restaurant ordinance into law. Thought a couple of you might like to see my statement.
########## Good afternoon My name is Jeanne Weigum, I am the president of the Association for Nonsmokers Minnesota, and a 40 year Saint Paul resident. I have been involved with this ordinance from the beginning when Dave Thune and I met in a smokey bar to discuss his idea of a smoking ban in all bars and restaurants. I said the other day that I was a red head back in 1975 when I began working on this issues. I am afraid the last few months have taken the last bit of red away. Its been a long summer! Since May the Mayor and Council, citizens and businesses of St. Paul have been involved in a discussion of smoke-free bars and restaurants. Our first effort resulted in a veto by Mayor Kelly. Today we are optimistic of a different result. Let me highlight some of the key things that Mayo Kelly demanded in his veto of the original ordinance and how those things have been resolved. Mayor Kelly�s veto message called the original ordinance flawed but strongly affirmed his commitment to protect the public health of all citizens. The ordinance given to the mayor yesterday clearly fixes all of the flaws he said needed to be mended. He had three primary objections: the speed of the process and his desire for added public input, the smoking room provisions, and his desire to see Saint Paul join with other communities in a regional approach. I am pleased to report that all three of these concerns are addressed in the revised ordinance. Since May when Council member Thune first proposed an ordinance, communities across the metro region have been talking about this issue. The media coverage including letters to the editor and opinion pieces has been astonishing. And yes, it has been mentioned on talk radio. The formal discussions have included another public hearing and the Saint Paul Ramsey County Board of Public Health, a citizen advisory body appointed by Mayor Kelly and the County Board, has again affirmed its recommendation to make all bars and restaurants in the city and county smoke free. Thousands of citizens have shared their opinions with council members through person to person meetings, phone calls, political polls, letters, e-mails and discussions on e-democracy. The volume of citizen involvement is unprecedented. If you question that, ask any of the long suffering council secretaries and legislative aides. The Mayor helped encourage that talking and sharing as well. People have had their say. We have heard from service workers and scientists, heart attack survivors and business owners. Bartenders and ministers. In the end the fact remains that the very best way to protect public health is an ordinance that eliminates secondhand smoke for all and that is what this revised ordinance does. Mayor Kelly also had concerns about the smoking-room provisions of the original ordinance. That has been removed. Mayor Kelly encouraged a regional approach, specifically encouraging collaboration with Minneapolis, Bloomington, Hennepin and Ramsey Counties and local elected officials across the seven-county metro area. Since his original veto, some of those communities have acted. Bloomington has a slightly stronger ordinance but the ordinance passed by the St. Paul council is virtually identical to the one passed by the Minneapolis council and very similar to the one under consideration by Hennepin County. With Ramsey County using the Olmsted county model instead of the one approved by Minneapolis and Bloomington, it is obviously impossible to have all ordinances in complete sync, but none the less, we do have a regional approach going and that regional approach achieves Mayor Kelly�s objective of protecting the public�s health. By signing this ordinance Mayor Kelly would indeed create a strong standard in this region by having a similar standard in place in the regions three largest communities. Even with the Ramsey County ordinance the communities of Roseville, White Bear Township, and Shoreview would also be completely smokefree in all bars and restaurants. Roseville, White Bear Township Shoreview and Saint Paul make up nearly 2/3's of all licensed liquor establishments in the county. Essentially Ramsey County will have carved out a scattering of businesses which are exempt from the bans in place throughout the rest of the metro area. The County would be hard pressed to drag down the emerging regional standard. Commissioner Bennett, following their hearing yesterday, confidently said this was only the first step, he fully expected the county to follow up with a stronger ordinance. The Mayor wanted to see a regional solution emerge and it has. Now St. Paul and Mayor Kelly have the choice between that regional solution or dragging down the regional standards. This ordinance is a test of the authenticity of Mayor Kelly�s veto message. The Mayor can either sign the ordinance and advance the regional approach he advocated for, or work against that regional approach. That�s the choice he has, be true to his word or...flip flop. A veto will turn the political process in Saint Paul into a rather peculiar version of hide and seek. The mayor hides what he really wants. The council seeks the answers. -- Jeanne Weigum 651-646-3005 fax 651-646-0142 _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
