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Now that the state-wide smoking ban is in place, big anti-tobacco is moving on to it's next cause. Preventing you from smoking in your own living space.
Big anti-tobacco has started a campaign in the seven county metro area to encourage landlords to designate their entire building, including within residential units, as smoke-free. One could make the argumment that if a property owner like a bar owner should have the right to designate their property smoke free or smoking allowed, so should a landlord or apartment company. However, where does it end? What else would a landlord be allowed to ban in the interest of tennant health and public safety? Cooking, because it could cause a fire or creates noxious food aromas? Dangerous sexual lifestyles?
Of course it doesn' stop there. Big anti-tobacco is not satisfied with landlords having the choice. They want big brother government to step in and make it illegal to smoke in all multi-unit buildings. While the program would be purely voluntary, some communities might follow two California cities by considering broader ordinances that would apply to multi-unit dwellings. This would include condominiums -- meaning it would be illegal for you to smoke within your own property.
Otter Tail County, MN is currently considering a county-wide ban on smoking in all multi-unit buildings.
ClearWay Minnesota, the state's independent nonprofit that administers $202 million of Minnesota's tobacco settlement funds, said the adoption of the smoking ban will mean refocusing some of its resources. Leaders foresee a shift from advocacy and lobbying efforts against secondhand smoke to helping ensure monitoring and compliance of the law, which took effect Oct. 1.
Translation: "We have a big well funded organizion with lots of beauracrats just looking for stuff to do." At least they are honest enough to admit they won't stop until your private rights, even your own home, are confiscated, and that the bar/restaurant ban was nothing more than a means to that end...
"I think we are really shortsighted if we think that we just crossed the finish line," said Jeanne Weigum, executive director of the Association for Nonsmokers-Minnesota. "The smoking rate in Minnesota didn't go down because we passed a law. Anybody that looks at this as anything except another important step along the way is really missing the point.".
For those that supported the ban -- we told you so -- but we would gladly welcome you on the side of personal liberty.
(Cross-posted at Freedom Dogs if you wish to comment). |
