BOSTON: No more cigar bars?!?!

[Hybridtuner]

Originally Posted by massphatness

You have got to be freaking kidding me. This is absolute ridiculousness! Cigar bars are, by definition, smoking establishments. Who do the politicos think they're trying to protect. The patrons and employees of these establishments go there knowing full well the type of place it is.

NOTE TO BOSTON POLS: I do not need to be protected from myself!

THANK YOU!

[SIZE=4]AAAAAmen!!!!!!!![/SIZE]

[Cigary]

Having lived in the Boston area for about 5 years I saw the writing on the wall when I left. I use to enjoy Cigar Masters every weekend and the only people who went in there were cigar loving people. While I use to enjoy Cape Cod they turned that whole area into a NO SMOKING zone and I knew it was just a matter of time before it hit the city. This is something that was purposefully planned and executed with the city council involvement. Cigar bars being systematically shut down with no liquor licenses being granted and the demise of smaller places going out of business during hard economic times made it all easier to start this ban. It would take another Boston Tea Party to reverse this scenario. The city council would have to understand that the area would take a hard hit on tourism before they would rescind this ban and with the smoking platform the way it is we'd be outnumbered 100 to 1 on any given day. One city at a time is the effort underway and it won't stop with this. I tried to so something when they outlawed it in Cape Cod and nobody, but nobody stepped up to say anything and that included the cigar stores in the area. This is what happens when you stand by and let things be taken away from us systematically. This is so ugly it makes me sick!

[BlackIrish]

I was in Churchill's last night when the reporter was there doing the story and taking the photo. It's a great place -- Joe, the bartender in the photo, has my drink up on the bar when he sees me coming. It pisses me off that some self-appointed do-gooders are going to destroy businesses offering legal products to people who want to enjoy them. If you don't want to be around smoke, don't go in.

[BlackIrish]

Originally Posted by TripleF

Public health can not be mandated. It's horse poop. You can't allow them to control your freedoms.

You guys gotta fight. You gotta volunteer. You gotta call and make yourselves heard.

Part of the reason this stuff happens to us is we sit back and get pissed, but then do nothing.


[SIZE=3]"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing!"[/SIZE]
Edmund Burke, 18th Century Irish Philosopher



Let me know who to call.

Here you go:

Mail
Any public testimony or comments can be mailed to the City Councillors through the following common address:
Councillor ___________
Boston City Council
Boston City Hall 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02201
ATTN: Committee on _____________, Docket # (if known) or Topic

Email
You can reach all of the councillors with one simple email address: city.council@cityofboston.gov If you are looking to address your comments to a particular councillor, you will find their individual email addresses on their web pages. (Link to Councillor page listing)

Fax
You can fax all of the councillors at (617) 635-4203. Please address the fax to "All Councillors" or to the specific Councillor

[Funkalicious]

You can also find your city councilman by entering your address here:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/myneighborhood/

[BlackIrish]

By sending an email to the address above, it reaches every councillor.

I sent this email tonight:

Dear City Councillors,

I'm a resident of Charlestown. I write on my own behalf, as a citizen and not as a member or representative of any organization, to urge you to reject the proposed ban on cigar lounges. This proposed ban, however well-intentioned, is unnecessary and over-reaching.

The primary issue, to my mind, is individual liberty. Cigars are legal products (and because they are typically consumed only occasionally, they present different health risks from those presented by cigarettes). An adult who chooses to visit a cigar lounge does so knowingly and voluntarily, so that cigar lounges do not implicate the isssue of unwanted secondhand smoke that underlay and justified the ban on smoking in restaurants and workplaces.

The proposed ban, moreover, would unfairly destroy the businesses built by the owners of cigar lounges. In Boston, these are all small business owners who have legitimate, investment-backed expectations in their establishments. They are currently subject to restrictions (as I understand it, required ratios of revenue from the sale of tobacco products versus revenues from other sales) that ensure that they are truly cigar lounges and not restaurants or bars trying to skirt the smoking regulations. These restrictions are more than adequate to protect the public.

Finally, to the extent that the proposed ban is intended to protect minors or young people from smoking, I would suggest that this objective could be achieved through less restrictive measures, such as through an age-based restriction, e.g., limiting patronage of cigar lounges to those over the age of 21.

I hope that the City Council will reject the proposed ban, which will unfairly destroy businesses in an effort to prevent adults from making the informed choice to enjoy a legal product.

Thank you for considering my views.

Very truly yours,

Edward Naughton
Charlestown, MA

[TripleF]

Originally Posted by BlackIrish

By sending an email to the address above, it reaches every councillor.

I sent this email tonight:

Dear City Councillors,

I'm a resident of Charlestown. I write on my own behalf, as a citizen and not as a member or representative of any organization, to urge you to reject the proposed ban on cigar lounges. This proposed ban, however well-intentioned, is unnecessary and over-reaching.

The primary issue, to my mind, is individual liberty. Cigars are legal products (and because they are typically consumed only occasionally, they present different health risks from those presented by cigarettes). An adult who chooses to visit a cigar lounge does so knowingly and voluntarily, so that cigar lounges do not implicate the isssue of unwanted secondhand smoke that underlay and justified the ban on smoking in restaurants and workplaces.

The proposed ban, moreover, would unfairly destroy the businesses built by the owners of cigar lounges. In Boston, these are all small business owners who have legitimate, investment-backed expectations in their establishments. They are currently subject to restrictions (as I understand it, required ratios of revenue from the sale of tobacco products versus revenues from other sales) that ensure that they are truly cigar lounges and not restaurants or bars trying to skirt the smoking regulations. These restrictions are more than adequate to protect the public.

Finally, to the extent that the proposed ban is intended to protect minors or young people from smoking, I would suggest that this objective could be achieved through less restrictive measures, such as through an age-based restriction, e.g., limiting patronage of cigar lounges to those over the age of 21.

I hope that the City Council will reject the proposed ban, which will unfairly destroy businesses in an effort to prevent adults from making the informed choice to enjoy a legal product.

Thank you for considering my views.

Very truly yours,

Edward Naughton
Charlestown, MA

Great letter Edward!! Even though I live in Florida I will compose a similar letter roday.

I encourage a "smoke in" to make a statement.

[md4958]

Originally Posted by BlackIrish

By sending an email to the address above, it reaches every councillor.

I sent this email tonight:

Dear City Councillors,

I'm a resident of Charlestown. I write on my own behalf, as a citizen and not as a member or representative of any organization, to urge you to reject the proposed ban on cigar lounges. This proposed ban, however well-intentioned, is unnecessary and over-reaching.

The primary issue, to my mind, is individual liberty. Cigars are legal products (and because they are typically consumed only occasionally, they present different health risks from those presented by cigarettes). An adult who chooses to visit a cigar lounge does so knowingly and voluntarily, so that cigar lounges do not implicate the isssue of unwanted secondhand smoke that underlay and justified the ban on smoking in restaurants and workplaces.

The proposed ban, moreover, would unfairly destroy the businesses built by the owners of cigar lounges. In Boston, these are all small business owners who have legitimate, investment-backed expectations in their establishments. They are currently subject to restrictions (as I understand it, required ratios of revenue from the sale of tobacco products versus revenues from other sales) that ensure that they are truly cigar lounges and not restaurants or bars trying to skirt the smoking regulations. These restrictions are more than adequate to protect the public.

Finally, to the extent that the proposed ban is intended to protect minors or young people from smoking, I would suggest that this objective could be achieved through less restrictive measures, such as through an age-based restriction, e.g., limiting patronage of cigar lounges to those over the age of 21.

I hope that the City Council will reject the proposed ban, which will unfairly destroy businesses in an effort to prevent adults from making the informed choice to enjoy a legal product.

Thank you for considering my views.

Very truly yours,

Edward Naughton
Charlestown, MA

Very well said Ed.

[md4958]

Hey, you think the ACLU will step in and threaten to sue and all the other BS that they ususally come up with??


Oh no, I forgot, we arent pedophiles, cop killers or terrorists... they have no interest in helping us.

[Funkalicious]

An update.

[mosesbotbol]

Zealots - 1, Smokers - 0

The whole thing is horrible and I feel probably pass, as most do not like smoking and will just rubber stamp this.

I emailed my City Councillor right after reading this.

[TripleF]

I just posted a comment on the Globe

[SheepCigars]

The Boston smoker thing has been blown out of proportion... It is completely exagerated. Trust me on this.

It was just fear mongering by CA, they are the ones who said that Cigar Bars will close etc.

Within Boston there is a law that says legal businesses can not be closed down because of a change in law.

The bill is just after all the 7/11's selling Blunt Wraps. Blunt Wraps are being banned at locations other than tobacconists to combat gang activity. I really don't want to explain further but its the truth. Kids can't gather etc.

[mosesbotbol]

Spoke to my city councilman and he is going to prevent closing of cigar bars, but is undecided on college campuses selling cigarettes. He just approved a Hookah Bar license in his district, so he has to prevent this legislation or he'll look like a total fool.

[uncballzer]

Originally Posted by md4958

when are the G-Damned pinko-commie liberals gonna stop protecting us from ourselves???

Makes me think of the movie irobot doesn't it?