Steve Rodich – 12/31/08

This page was last updated on January 4, 2009.

Close loopholes in smoking ban law; Steve Rodich; Beaver County Times; December 31, 2008.

To begin, I need to disclose I’ve always been a non-smoker, find tobacco smoke objectionable, and don’t permit smoking in either my home or car.

This is at least the seventh letter – and the fifth since late June 2007 – from Mr. Rodich (active in local Democrat politics) supporting a smoking ban on private property. Mr. Rodich’s previous letters are here, here, here (I didn’t critique this letter.), here, here, and here. Mr. Rodich may be as obsessed about this topic as the Times.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The Clean Indoor Air Act has been in effect in Pennsylvania since Sept. 8.

“Smokers believe it is unfair and infringes on their right to smoke. The act is unfair to nonsmokers because the legislation contains many exemptions that result in needless exposure to second-hand smoke to workers and patrons of those exempted businesses.”

[RWC] Though Mr. Rodich referred to the mythical rights of smokers and nonsmokers in his previous letters, he always failed to note the real rights of property owners.

“It is unfair to restaurant owners who also serve liquor because the law prohibits smoking in their establishments but allows smoking in bars whose food sales do not exceed 20 percent of their business.

“It is unfair to clubs that depend on parties, banquets, dances and other revenue-generating events because during those events, even though they may be held in a separate room or hall, smoking is prohibited in the members’ club room. This gives other clubs that do not cater to the public an unfair advantage.”

[RWC] These last two paragraphs are a hoot! Not once in Mr. Rodich’s previous letters did he express any concern about what’s fair for the property owners. Now Mr. Rodich claims to be concerned about what’s fair to certain business owners. Don’t buy it; Mr. Rodich doesn’t care now either. If he did care about fairness and freedom, Mr. Rodich would see what is really fair is to allow property owners to determine whether or not a legal activity (smoking) may take place on their property.

“State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf will introduce legislation to eliminate the unfair exemptions. Hopefully, other lawmakers will support his efforts and provide a smoking ban law that is fair and equitable.

“Lawmakers need to understand the purpose of the act is to protect workers and patrons from the dangers of second-hand smoke. To protect some, but not all, is unfair.”

[RWC] If you believe “the purpose of the act is to protect workers and patrons from the dangers of second-hand smoke,” I have a bridge to sell you. This is all about imposing a personal preference on others.

“Lawmakers who do not support and vote for Greenleaf’s legislation are essentially saying those who are subjected to the dangers of second-hand smoke because of the exemptions are not important to them.”

[RWC] Ah, the “demonize the opposition” tactic.

One by one we’re seeing our natural rights transformed into privileges doled out at government discretion. This is the goal of leftist ideology.