Minnesota Gets Four F's for Poor Legislation
MINNESOTANS AGAINST SMOKING BANS
227 OAK ST. S.E. MINNEAPOLIS, MN 554146
PHONE: 651-336-1275 FAX: 651-458-5649
January 6, 2005
Letter to the Editor:
Smoking Report Card for Minnesota
In “State earns poor grades in curbing smoking”, By Kate Kompas, We read Robert Moffitt is again spouting anti-smoking nonsense about the unproven evils of Second Hand Smoke and smoking in general. For too long people have been lied to and otherwise mislead by the likes of Mr. Moffitt. His comments that denigrate Tennessee and Kentucky are simply uncalled for. His statement that Minnesota has always prided itself for being a very healthy state and a progressive one too, will have no merit if these abhorrent smoking bans do get passed.
It has been proven with a mountain of anecdotal evidence that when bans occur, smoking among teens skyrocket, bootleg cigarettes become more widely available, and money that might otherwise be used for real health concerns will be used to enforce largely unenforceable bans. Any governmental body that passes laws that create bans, prohibitions, or otherwise restrictive legislation cannot be considered progressive, only reactionary.
Moffitt’s report card left some grades out. I was fortunate enough to get the full transcript for Minnesota. The grade, the subject, and the reason for the grade is as follows:
-“F” Economics Squandered and misused Master Settlement money paid by the tobacco industry.
-“F” Citizenship For passing current bans that are a clear constitutional violation of personal freedoms.
-“F” Government For passing and attempting to pass smoking bans that violate Private Property Rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.
-“F” Ethics Allowing the use of known lies, half truths, misinformation, junk science, faulty statistics, and outside financial influence by organizations that look to profit financially from any smoking ban.
We all know what is done with 4-F’s in the Army. What do you think should be done with our politicians who earn a 4-F rating?
Submitted By,
Robert Hayes Halfpenny
Below is the column from the St.Cloud MN paper to which I was responding.
Minnesota continues to lag when it comes to anti-smoking laws and policies, according to a new report card from the American Lung Association.
That's despite the cities -- including Minneapolis and St. Paul -- that have passed smoking bans. Minnesota also received dismal grades last year.
"It's embarrassing to be ranked down there with the Tennessees and the Kentuckys of the world" in terms of laws restricting tobacco, said Robert Moffitt, spokesman for the Minnesota American Lung Association. "We've always prided ourselves on being a very healthy state and being very progressive."
Moffitt said Minnesota's tobacco grades can change if the state adopts a cigarette-tax increase and statewide smoking ban.
It's not a coincidence the state's report card is being publicized as the Legislature starts up. Lawmakers are expected to consider a statewide ban this year, which Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he would sign.
Jodi Rohe, coordinator of Smoke Free Communities at Central Minnesota Heart Center, said the grades are no surprise, in part because the tobacco endowment that used to pay for anti-smoking programs was shifted to cover the state's budget shortfall.
The report card looks at the state as a whole, not individual cities or counties, Moffitt said.
Moffitt said he believes Minnesota is changing and will get better grades soon.
"I think most Minnesotans have really shifted their opinion on smoking and secondhand smoking," he said. "It's no longer just an annoyance to them. They see it as a health issue."
According to the report card, Minnesota scored:
- "D" in tobacco-program funding.
- "C" for its youth-access policies.
- "D" for its cigarette tax. The state's tax of 48 cents ranks 38th among the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
- "F" for smoke-free air.
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227 OAK ST. S.E. MINNEAPOLIS, MN 554146
PHONE: 651-336-1275 FAX: 651-458-5649
January 6, 2005
Letter to the Editor:
Smoking Report Card for Minnesota
In “State earns poor grades in curbing smoking”, By Kate Kompas, We read Robert Moffitt is again spouting anti-smoking nonsense about the unproven evils of Second Hand Smoke and smoking in general. For too long people have been lied to and otherwise mislead by the likes of Mr. Moffitt. His comments that denigrate Tennessee and Kentucky are simply uncalled for. His statement that Minnesota has always prided itself for being a very healthy state and a progressive one too, will have no merit if these abhorrent smoking bans do get passed.
It has been proven with a mountain of anecdotal evidence that when bans occur, smoking among teens skyrocket, bootleg cigarettes become more widely available, and money that might otherwise be used for real health concerns will be used to enforce largely unenforceable bans. Any governmental body that passes laws that create bans, prohibitions, or otherwise restrictive legislation cannot be considered progressive, only reactionary.
Moffitt’s report card left some grades out. I was fortunate enough to get the full transcript for Minnesota. The grade, the subject, and the reason for the grade is as follows:
-“F” Economics Squandered and misused Master Settlement money paid by the tobacco industry.
-“F” Citizenship For passing current bans that are a clear constitutional violation of personal freedoms.
-“F” Government For passing and attempting to pass smoking bans that violate Private Property Rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.
-“F” Ethics Allowing the use of known lies, half truths, misinformation, junk science, faulty statistics, and outside financial influence by organizations that look to profit financially from any smoking ban.
We all know what is done with 4-F’s in the Army. What do you think should be done with our politicians who earn a 4-F rating?
Submitted By,
Robert Hayes Halfpenny
Below is the column from the St.Cloud MN paper to which I was responding.
Minnesota continues to lag when it comes to anti-smoking laws and policies, according to a new report card from the American Lung Association.
That's despite the cities -- including Minneapolis and St. Paul -- that have passed smoking bans. Minnesota also received dismal grades last year.
"It's embarrassing to be ranked down there with the Tennessees and the Kentuckys of the world" in terms of laws restricting tobacco, said Robert Moffitt, spokesman for the Minnesota American Lung Association. "We've always prided ourselves on being a very healthy state and being very progressive."
Moffitt said Minnesota's tobacco grades can change if the state adopts a cigarette-tax increase and statewide smoking ban.
It's not a coincidence the state's report card is being publicized as the Legislature starts up. Lawmakers are expected to consider a statewide ban this year, which Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he would sign.
Jodi Rohe, coordinator of Smoke Free Communities at Central Minnesota Heart Center, said the grades are no surprise, in part because the tobacco endowment that used to pay for anti-smoking programs was shifted to cover the state's budget shortfall.
The report card looks at the state as a whole, not individual cities or counties, Moffitt said.
Moffitt said he believes Minnesota is changing and will get better grades soon.
"I think most Minnesotans have really shifted their opinion on smoking and secondhand smoking," he said. "It's no longer just an annoyance to them. They see it as a health issue."
According to the report card, Minnesota scored:
- "D" in tobacco-program funding.
- "C" for its youth-access policies.
- "D" for its cigarette tax. The state's tax of 48 cents ranks 38th among the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
- "F" for smoke-free air.
Subscribe Today: Get home delivery for 50% off!
https://secure1.infi.net/stcloud/forms/
This is the URL
posted by bob3443 | 1/06/2005 05:33:00 PM
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