Curt is Chicago native – but don’t hold that against him. After stops in Madison and California, he and his wife moved to Waukesha in 2004 to open their own downtown business.
Easy come, easy go.
As quick as the smoking ban began, it seems to have disappeared.
For now.
Before I continue, I want to get something straight. The smoking ban wasn’t around long enough for me to make a choice as to whether or not I would support it.
As a matter of fact, a smoking ban doesn’t affect my business in the least. However, I am well aware it may have had adverse affects on others.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to the subject at hand. I am more intrigued by the 30 people that showed up at the common council meeting to display their displeasure with the ban.
Hats off to those 30 people for getting together and making something happen in this city. You guys did it! By coming together you abolished the ban. Congratulations!
Alderman Tortomasi was quoted as asking why no proponents of the ban were at the common council meeting.
It’s simple. Those opposed to the ban were paying more attention. Those opposed gathered together and met on the subject. And those opposed were solicited by an insider to be at the meeting.
Tortomasi and the smoking ban never had a chance.
So, instead of discussing the subject further, hearing both sides of the story, and coming to an agreement that worked for everyone, the ban was simply extinguished.
Thirty people won’t get together to discuss Waukesha’s water issues. Thirty people won’t gather to address the City’s growing safety concerns. Thirty people won’t discuss dog runs in the city parks. But threaten to ban smoking, and Waukesha citizens rise to the occasion with guns drawn.
This puts a lot of things into perspective.
In closing, I want to congratulate those thirty people for making a difference. However, I know those 30 had help. Big help.
And with that said, I lost a lot of respect, today, for someone I used to admire. I think that is what bothers me most. It’s not the ban, it’s not the loss of the ban, it’s the time that “Big Help” spent to abolish the ban. When there are greater concerns in this City to be addressed, “Big Help” is fighting a smoking ban.
Way to go.
