Duluth City Council to debate Lakewalk smoking ban
September 9, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
When the Duluth City Council meets tonight, it will take up a couple of resolutions designed to polish the community’s image.
Councilors will consider whether to ban smoking on the Lakewalk, and they may authorize the city to boost its budget in hopes of making Duluth more attractive to both developers and employers. Continue Reading
I don’t remember electing Jim Stauber or Patrick Boyle to be the city’s image police. This is a nonsense ordinance that everybody knows won’t be enforced. It’s aim is to take another poke at the Last Place On Earth. And it does nothing more than duplicate existing ordinances. Students have every right to use the Lakewalk or any other city property. They also have the right to stand in place if they choose to. Don’t like it? Go around them. If loitering, litter or underage tobacco use are the problems, the police can cite them under existing regulations if they find themselves with nothing better to do. Find a real problem to solve and stop wasting taxpayer money already.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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The image police are right don the hall from the food police. The fatty patrol is on the 3rd floor.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Overweight people are next, then red meat, then meat all together, then chocolate, then whatever group of people that gets the power to make everybody just like them.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I would expect such action from Boyle. After all, his father Frank is/was a nannystatist from way back. But Stauber’s support for this thing bugs me.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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It is illegal for anyone under 18 to smoke cigarettes. We don’t need a new law to stop teens from smoking on the Lakewalk. The current law is not enforced, neither will a new one be. It would be real easy to stop underage smokers on the Lakewalk if the city wanted to enforce current law. Also, anyone being an actual nuisance can usually be stopped by police and/or cited for something already on the books, whether they are smoking something while being a nuisance or just being a nusiance without smoking. Another thing would be to have patrols that would ticket people who litter and don’t clean up after their dogs on the Lakewalk, which would also penalize those smoking irresponsibly, since many irresponsible smokers drop their butts rather than disposing of them properly. Leave legal, responsible smokers alone. The problem is not lack of laws, the problem is lack of enforcment and patrols on the Lakewalk and in our parks. I’m sure the fines collected from targeting people breaking existing laws would pay for the cost of extra enforcment. BTW, I don’t smoke and never have, but as long as it is legal, we whould stop hassling people about it.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Only a total fool would claim that smoking regulations are an ecconomic development tool.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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There already is a law prohibiting students from smoking so I don’t know what will be accomplished by passing yet another law for them to break.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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What law prohibits students from smoking?
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https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?key=57965
Took about 10 seconds on Bing.
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Maybe the council could pass an ordinance against acts of stupidity by elected officials, and then remove themselves from office for violating it.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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LOL!!! Like they say, there is no cure for stupid!
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What about the employees who stand out on the sidewalks in front of where they work on Superior St and smoke- – and sometimes there isn’t anyway but to plow through them- and hold my breath-
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Maybe they hold their breaths when you walk by, too.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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If you’re concerned about the potential health effects of inhaling small volumes of secondary smoke downtown then you must REALLY be leery of automobiles, seeing as they’re surely far more likely to put you in the ground in those circumstances.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I want an ordinance against people that wear perfume, after shave, scented deodorants and hair spray.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Some people pour a 55 gal. drum of perfume over themselves. On the other hand some people have extreme B.O. Both should be baned immediatly.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Yes, and those that do not understand that Lysol is not a freaking air freshener.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Aren’t diesel fumes carcinogenic ? I think city buses run on diesel.
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I was at the Wilco concert at Bayfront. Half the people there were smoking. Will they ban it there, too?
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Ya, and how about the guy down the street burning firewood.
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Well, this idiotic ordinance passed. Starting tomorrow, let’s all call the police department for assistance because we saw someone smoking on the Lakewalk and see how long it takes them to respond.
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I would imagine your policemen are going to be getting a lot of exercise running after people they try to ticket. I can see it now…the cops will spot a group of high school kids smoking. Someone will yell COPS!! and they will scatter in all directions.
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Huge waste of time! Enforce laws that are in place. Minors should be handed tickets. Rather than “Blow Smoke” on this issue, try working on getting JOBS in our city.
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