Defeat of smoking ban urged (01/11/08)

To the editor:

Attention, Jay County Commissioners. Before you vote on the smoking ban I want you to remember you were voted into office to represent the people of the county.

When you had the public meeting on the smoking ban there were a lot more people against the smoking ban than for it. If you really represent the people as you were voted to do, then that is the way you should vote.

This is supposed to be a free country; that I doubt more and more all the time. It is a violation of private property rights to tell a business how to operate a business that they own. The government doesn't own it.

A Harvard professor has shown there are a lot of half-truths about second-hand smoke. You breathe a lot worse things from cars being out on the street. Should we stop people from driving?

The government doesn't want to make cigarettes illegal because they make too much money from them. They still pay tobacco farmers to raise tobacco. Anytime the government needs more money they just add another tax on cigarettes. In the last 10 years there has been more taxes added to cigarettes than anything else.

I can understand cigarette smoke bothering someone in a small enclosed area like a car, but restaurants always have no smoking areas.

Smokers would have nowhere to go with this ban.

Second-hand smoke is just another excuse for people that don't like the smell of cigarettes and I agree the smell is bad. I would like for someone to tell me how someone gets second-hand smoke from me sitting in my car in a parking lot.

Why not put a ban on alcohol? I know, people will say they are just hurting themselves, but look at domestic violence and auto wrecks that hurt and kill other people? There are a lot of medical costs involved with alcohol also.

Some counties that have imposed this ban have lifted it because so many businesses were hurt.

I know cigarettes are bad for you but they are still legal, so a business owner should have the choice to allow smoking or not. It does not belong to the government.

Phyllis Reitz

Portland

Holiday thanks

To the editor:

With the holidays behind us, the Jay County Salvation Army would like to thank all the volunteers who made this year's fundraiser a success.

Without you, many who are less fortunate would not receive the help they desperately need.

Thank you to Dolphus Stephens and Flo Golden, who organized the high school students.

Thank you to Jim Fennig of Wal-Mart for your continued support. Thank you to the local merchants who placed collection buckets on their counters. Thank you to the students of Jay County High School who braved the snow, wind and cold temperatures to help others.

Thank you to the community for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Denise Brewster,

Chairman, Jay County

Salvation Army - A

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