Oh dear God. More government trying to regulate the private lives of citizens. Is there no end? I must be turning into Marv Marin in my sleep.
I have had several communications this morning from citizens expressing outrage over a proposal made during Supervisors Time to end all smoking at county pools.
Currently, smoking is limited designated smoking areas at each pool center. This plan, instituted under Parks and Rec directive, sounds like a good plan. Adults smoke. Life guards smoke on break and parents also smoke. As long as they smoke away from the general population, outside, let’s just leave it alone. Yes kids see them. So what. Kids see all sorts of things, including old men in speedos and women with beer guts in bikinis.
If smoking is forbidden, fewer parents will bring their kids to the pool. In the long run, this means less recreation and less exercise for kids. If smoking is forbidden, people will be checking in and out of the pool area to go for a quick smoke. Wasn’t a young mother just arrested for not attending to her kids supervision? I believe she was charged with neglect because she went out front to sign in her friend. Well….a smoking ban will force more people to take their eyes off their kids and sneak outside the parameter for a quick smoke.
Supervisors, give it a rest. You and government can’t control everything a person does. Yes, you can control where they do it to a point, but ultimately, let’s just keep it simple, create a smoking area in at every county pool, and lets move on. Adults are going to smoke whether we like it or not.
I am tired of government trying to control my personal habits. I don’t think I am alone. Conservatives should be demanding less government into their personal lives. This is a good place to start exercising the hands off approach. As long as adults are in the designated area, leave them to hell alone.
You won’t have to worry about this.
The pools are going to be closing. Unless they install multi-thousand dollar access lifts.
Read the links on the second link to get more of the story.
http://www.saysuncle.com/2012/05/28/government-at-work-6/
http://www.saysuncle.com/index.php?s=pool
Great just add Nanny County to our county’s resume! Too busy to blast this idea. I think Moon did a good job. The PWCPA always had a designated smoking area policy since it’s inception. Nice to see the BoS take over as the PWCPA is now the Parks & Rec Dept. Parents smoke and it’s LEGAL. So what’s the problem? Other than the county wanting to have more control of our lives.
Turning into Marin is a good thing sometime, Moon!! I know he’s a non-smoker and I’m interesting to see what he has to say. Let’s see how much of a Libertarian he really is? 🙂
I also want to hear from Mom!!!
@Cargosquid
FYI-All of our county pools are ADA compliant and already have ramps. Infact they’ve had them for two decades now. I don’t fear them closing in PWC.
Let’s hope not. Let’s hope that the ramps suffice.
Private pools at hotels are really under threat.
You stop this sort of thing locally before it gets out of hand. I can’t help the hotel industry. I can stir up the troops over a no smoking edict at county pools. We own those. We don’t own Marriot.
@Chris
So in the name of public health Marty wants to the BOCS to review smoking policies, well in the name of BOCS health I want the county to review the donut policy at McCoart, I believe a few of our Supervisors should be banned from Dunkin Donuts, a few others should be banned from our local watering holes.
Are you insinuating that some of our supervisors have been known to imbibe too much and too frequently? Hmmmmm….let’s see if I can guess …..no Moon. Behave.
That was a pretty early dinner last night.
“I am tired of government trying to control my personal habits. I don’t think I am alone. Conservatives should be demanding less government into their personal lives. This is a good place to start exercising the hands off approach. As long as adults are in the designated area, leave them to hell alone.”
God Bless you. You’re starting to see the evils of government.
I’m not a smoker by choice. I’ve tried it and every once in awhile I will enjoy a cigar. But it just pisses me the hell off when the “government” tells me that I can’t smoke or that if I do that I have to pay a “tax” for doing so. Where do they get off?
If a designated area already exists for smoking and that designated area isn’t in the path of non-smokers why “fix” something that ain’t broken?
NEWS FLASH! BOCS wants to ban smoking on PWC roads to ‘save the children’. The BOCS can take their laws and shove it up their collective fat asses.
I’m sorry, but you can’t say “I like this government intrusion, but not that government intrusion”. You either like government intrusion or you do not. As an ex-smoker, I don’t much care either way. There are times when a good whiff of second-hand smoke is like a gentle breeze from an angel’s wings for me. It comes down to what is the county government’s job? Is there no limiting document on what county government can control and what they can’t? And if there were such a document, would we even bother to hold the government to it?
@Moon-howler
Am I insinuating that some of our supervisors have been known to imbibe too much and too frequently, not any more than myself, of course I generally limit it to locations within stumbling distance of my hovel so as not to endanger the public at large. The same can not be said of a certain member of our BOCS who have enjoyed themselves far too much at a certain BBQ and then traversed virtually the entire width and breadth of the county to their now former abode.
@The Derecho
Same here. When driving, my limit is one or two glasses of wine and none within an hour of driving. When home watching the big screen the bottle of Wild Turkey or other Bourbon becomes noticeably less full.
I’m highly allergic to smoke but can go along with designated smoking areas as long as I’m able to go to public places and not be forced to breath someone’s else’s toxic fumes. I’ve never been to the pools so I can’t comment on the adequacy of their arrangements.
I read not long ago that Wally wants to eliminate the designated smoking areas at VRE stations. He’s on the VRE board, or something to do with VRE. I ride VRE sometimes and know where the smoking areas are, and stay away from them. It’s not been a problem for me, even as much of an anti-smoker as I am.
I agree that donut addiction seems to be a greater problem for one or more supervisors than alcohol or smoking. Are we going to impose a donut ceiling on them?
@SlowpokeRodriguez
NO one loves second hand smoke more than I do. Angel’s wings my butt….it is like heroin to me and I love it.
@The Derecho
The Sheriff has implied there was some of that there imbibing going on last night. I am going to have to break down and watch the video now. sigh.
Safe stumbling to ya!!!
I doubt that ceiling would have to be very high as I suspect you couldn’t fit a dime under their vertical leaps.
@Need to Know
Its outside, for heaven’s sake. We aren’t talking about inside.
If I really could outlaw things that I am allergic to, I would start with the cologne and aftershave stench that I have allergic reactions to.
Cigarette smoke is ambrosia compared to a wiff of someone elses perfume.
It really should not be worn in public.
@Moon-howler
I agree about the cologne, aftershave and perfume. I hate going to a nice restaurant with Mrs. NTK, ordering a good bottle of wine and dinner, and not being able to enjoy them because of someone else’s stench.
I find sporting events to be the worst as far as getting stenched out. I have had to leave UMD events because of the perfume and men’s cologne. Basketball games are the worst. Tight quarters and inside. At least outside, the smell could dissipate.
Thats one reason why I rarely order decent wine out. I keep those events for winery trips and home. Well, wineries aren’t usually decent wine as much as they are an event. I have more control over the environment. Maybe I am just cheap. I would rather get 3 bottles of the same wine and drink them at home. Yea, that’s cheap, isn’t it? How about frugal? that is a kinder word.
Yep…that’s another way to put it!!
CRY!!!!!! Damn I miss it!!!
@Need to Know
Whatever happened to people just saying, “You know that’s really strong..” or “What smells of elephant piss??”
I had one friend who was in a conversation with another and the guy was just…dumb. At one point he stopped the other in mid-sentence and asked, “What college did you go to so I can make sure I don’t send my kids there.”
I think he got the point across. 🙂
@marinm
One of my favorites is a quote from Walter Bishop on “Fringe”
“Unless you have an IQ higher than mine, I’m not interested in what you think!”
@marinm
I knew you would NOT let me down on this one! 🙂