Bloomberg Wants to Ban in NYC Parks.

[TommyBB]

Bloomberg is at it again.
And look how he condones and encourages impolite, mean-spirited behavior as "Social Pressure"

CW News Entry from the New York Post
There is a comments section, have at it.

[grtrx]

bloomberg needs to get laid.

[Briandg]

and he has gone on record that he thinks that drinking in public, be it in the parks, on a street corner, or even the stadiums should be perfectly fine. I truly loathe that obnoxious ass.

I already get plenty of dirty looks about smoking cigars. Since that isn't working, should people start calling me names? throwing trash at me?

Now, answer me this:

How long do I have to put up with this public persecution, humiliation, and rejection before I can be justified in taking a shotgun to the park with me, and showing the world just how unhappy they have made me?

[The JD]

I like the "replace all" function in notepad.

Originally Posted by Slightly modified...

New York City to eaters: Butt out of our parks.
Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced yesterday he wants to ban eating in public parks and city beaches as part of a plan to make New Yorkers healthier.
"We don't think children, parents, when they're standing at soccer games, should have to be exposed to food from the person next to them," Farley said after unveiling the city's 10-point plan alongside Mayor Bloomberg.


"We don't think our children should have to be watching someone eat."
The city could outlaw snacking in parks through legislation passed by the City Council or an administrative rule change by the Parks Department, Farley said.

The mayor said his anti-eating agenda includes glaring, "with not a particularly nice look," at eaters gathered outside buildings.
"Social pressure really does work," said Bloomberg, himself a former eater.
In July, he cast doubt on whether a ban in parks would succeed.
"It would be harder to do, harder to build a consensus, and, generally, I don't think that, you know, we could get it done," he told a caller to his weekly radio show.
His spokesman, Jason Post, said a ban across thousands of acres may be logistically impossible.

"But there may be areas within parks where restricting eating can protect health," Post said. "We will continue to explore this."
Other cities, counties and states, including in Utah, Louisiana, Maine and California, have banned eating in parks.
But in New York City -- which has more than 100 parks and 14 miles of beaches -- implementing such a ban would be among the most ambitious urban efforts.

Calorie junkies were fired up over the idea.
"Where are we supposed to go and eat now?" fumed Anna Borgogni, 18, who was eating up in Washington Square Park.
"eating is a social activity, and parks are a social atmosphere."
But some noneaters breathed a sigh of relief.
"A lot of kids play in parks, and it's a place to relax," said NYU student Kelsey Valla, 19. "It's kind of disgusting when people are eating here."

[Harleyrider]

OK, gang, so what are we doing about it, besides pissing and moaning to each other? Is anyone writing to him? Has anyone contacted CRA? Contacted the convention and visitors bureau?Are any New Yorkers contacting their representatives?

We love to complain to each other about our rights being trampeled, but most of us never put out the effort to try to stop it.

If anyone in this group has contact info for us to email the mayor's office and convention and visitors bureau promising to take our tourist dollars elsewhere if this goes through, please share. It doesn't matter if it's true, or if you never even go to NYC. It just matters that they know that there may be some costs to this sort of shit.

As we used to say back in the '60's, if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Sorry for venting...

[Harleyrider]

Email Bloomberg: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Email Convention & Visitors Bureau: visitorinfo@nycvisit.com

[TommyBB]

Here is the New York Times version
No comments section, though. Vic, I agree with you, but the complaining also helps us to refine arguments and really understand what we need to do.

Posting comments at news sites and things can be frustrating when dealing with anti-tobacco zealots, as well as those who believe "I'm not a smoker, so go ahead..." But what it does is let them know we are out here, and we know what's happening and won't take it quietly any longer.

[TommyBB]

Done.

New York, a bastion of freedom,first capitol of the United States; where the first president was inaugurated and cradle of liberty. A place where anything goes from erotic performance art to Hookers on the Point to the Carnegie Deli, and everything in between.But dont DARE smoke tobacco. The hypocrisy, and sheer idiocy of a mayor not only countenancing a ban on outdoor smoking (and it is idiocy as the smoke completely dissipates almost immediately,) but CONDONING uncivil behavior. The statement that a sharp glance or whatever it was called in the New York Post will put social pressure on smokers is an invitation for people to be downright rude and belligerent to other citizens. You know, New York doesnt have the best reputation as it is now where belligerent, impolite, rude and downright ugly behavior is concerned and now your mayor is telling citizens to perpetrate it and actually DISCRIMINATE against smokers.

I'm only one lone voice from New Orleans, and only one potential visitor. Dont count on me spending money in New York any time soon. And that's sad, there's nothing Id like better than to visit Davidoff of Geneve, Nat Sherman, the new ball parks, the many museums and neighborhood restaurants. You guys are doing it to yourselves and I hope it costs you dearly.
Thomas Bender
Editor in Chief
Cigar Weekly

[The JD]

Very nice Tommy. Was that an email to Bloomie?

[TommyBB]

One to Mayor Bloomberg, and one slightly altered (he, you, etc.) to the Convention and Visitors' Bureau. The sad part is, I don't know if I'd ever want to or be able to live in New York, but I would like to visit, as I stated.

I'd love to visit "La Familia: CaballoPinto, Cabaiguan, Las Villas", Michael Herklots of Davidoff was insistent at the IPCPR that I MUST come to visit. And there are others in the area, too: smokinactuary, monteman, TOJE. But damn.