Before I discuss the proposed smoking ban let me disclose that I do not smoke, have never been associated with the casino industry and am not a part of any business in this state. The campaign against smoking in Mesquite is an obvious well-funded effort to further limit our freedoms, and to impose the will of a few onto many. The clean indoor air people have placed expensive ads in the DVT nearly every week with unsubstantiated data about the costs to Mesquite related to smoking. The data is flawed and very misleading. They tell us we will save millions because the residents of our city will not have to be treated for heart, stroke and lung problems if the smoking goes away. We have no idea what percentage of our population can relate smoking to these health problems as all personnel medical records are protected by HIPPA and they can only guess at the numbers. The printed article is only good for wrapping a dead fish in.
Now lets look carefully at what you may be signing away in the petition to stop indoor smoking in public places.
The proposed ordinance is so restrictive that smokers will be limited to, virtually their private vehicle or home; that is, if their home is a single-family residence with no walls attached to any other property. The ordinance is many pages long, but clearly says smoking is allowed in private residences that are not contained within multiple unit housing facilities, except if the private residence is used for child or adult care or a health care facility. The ordinance clearly defined a multi-unit housing facility, as a building or portion thereof, that contains more than one dwelling unit in which a dwelling unit shares at least one common floor, wall, or ceiling with another dwelling unit. It then lists apartments, condos, town homes, townhouses, and more. Mesquite has 4,515 residences that fall into this category as of 2016. Smoking will not be allowed in them whether rentals or owner-occupied, at least not on a patio or balcony if the unit has one. I guess if one goes into the bathroom you are safe. Read the ordinance!
There are numerous other places you will not be able to smoke such as playgrounds, common areas of any of the above including trailer parks private clubs and on and on. If you don’t believe me, read the ordinance!
The owners of any of the above will be required to place signage of a type specified in the ordinance, at their expense in numerous places in and around the property. Read the ordinance! The owners of the property are required to call the police every time a violation occurs and they cannot personally enforce it. Don’t believe me? Read the ordinance!
The ordinance goes on to list numerous other places where smoking will not be allowed. Of course these are places already covered by the Nevada Clean Air Regulations, and are not the object of this ordinance.
Now that you get the gist of the ordinance, lets look at who will be affected financially. The actual numbers are, of course, unknown at this time, but you can be assured there will be losses. With losses of business income come losses of jobs. Mesquite Gaming’s two hotel casinos, Eureka Hotel and Casino, Golden West, Stateline Casino, two Dotty’s, the two smoke shops, and list goes on will be affected.
Under Nevada Revised Statutes, the ordinance is probably not legal, but I’m sure the decision will be made either in the courts or the legislature. I know I have read all the statutes very carefully. I do not believe it will allow the city, even if it wanted to approve this ordinance. I know I am not in support of it and what it could do to the economy of our city. I urge all of you to read the ordinance in full before you make any decision as a voter. Next it will be an attempt at prohibition because alcohol can harm you also.
I’m sure this article will raise the hairs on the backs of the necks of the Citizens For Clean Air in Mesquite, and it should. What started out as a proposal to eliminate smoking in the Casinos and its employees has turned out to be an infringement on personal freedom that goes far past its original intentions. I do not need their protection.
So if this goes threw? Smokers will be hiding or standing on sidewalks at the roads and leaving dirty butts on ground and feeling like criminals. This is utterly rediculous. What is going on to our tax paying personal freedoms. Nevada was and is the place people still come to visit for just a peace of the freedoms we still have left. Their is not many respectful smokers left. Let us have dignity. Now how will all the Pot smokers fit into this?! Don’t we have enough angry moody stressed out ex smokers. Just leave everyone alone to live our live. Go after real criminals.
Pot smokers don’t leave there butts everywhere.
Just saying.
Yeah, you just eat the roach.
I don’t do that dude
Then quit polluting my lungs and burning my sinsus’ with your smoke!!!! Step outside to smoke! Why should we have to deal with your habit? Drink all you want, who cares? It doesn’t ruin our lungs and health. There are smog controls on vehicles. Why not public bldgs? If smokers would just be considerate and think of how their actions are affecting others, there would be No issue. No petition. Somkers rights? They are the minority, just go to a casino and count them. 30 people in the lounge and 1 or 2 smokers ruin the air for everyone else. Tell me how that is fair? Come on people, just a bit of common courtesy.
I agree. Colorado casinos went smoke free 10 years ago and are flourishing! The Colorado casinos have enclosed “smoking rooms” for smokers. I personally think it should be illegal for hazardous cigarette gasses to fill air spaces in the casinos subjecting workers and patrons to allergens and cancers. It’s a small minority causing this polluted air. Please vote for Clean Indoor Air Mesquite for the benefit of the majority!
Let’s hear from our City Attorney who should be able to sort factual legal information from speculative diatribes. He doesn’t have to opine; just, at least let the public know the current legal facts. He may have to call BS on some of the stuff being spouted as fact, but we citizens deserve to know.
Well said!
Are the clean air people crazy? What right do they have to infringe on me and my property or other peoples property? I an a non-smoker but respect the right of others, if I don’t like the smoke I’ll go somewhere else.
Mayor Litman. Thank you! As a relatively new resident to Mesquite and one who has been adamantly fighting the radicals behind this petition on the NextDoor app (which they’ve been exploiting), let me be the first to say that it is soooooo refreshing to have political leadership with common sense, an understanding of economics, and the courage to speak the truth. Should this petition make the ballot, not only does it need to be soundly defeated but it needs to be absolutely crushed to send an indisputable signal to the radical vagabonds behind the petition that such an infringement upon personal freedom and liberty will never be tolerated here in Mesquite.
i guess you would have been in favor of child labor and slavery. Both made good economic sense in their day. Why those slave owners made huge profits on their free labor. And having children work in the sweat shops also made good economic sense. The nerve of government to restrict the rights of business owners to make a profit. Why paying slave wages will always help a business make huge profits. And not offering workers a safe work environment will increase those profits too.
Ooooo…Nice deflection and diversion of the true topic and issue…And adding the “shame” of child labor and slavery too….Making Mr. Kiima less than human with marginalizing his comment as well….Expertly done David Petrillo (nice made up name by the way)…..What P.R. firm do you work for, and how much are they paying you for the shill work?
Thank you, Al. Clearly stated. Maggie
Thank you Mr. Mayor!
Our mayor explained it perfectly! Please dont only inform yourself with what the clean indoor people are telling you, inform yourself with the actual ordinance..once you read it you will see what they are saying is nit what they are trying to do with this faulty half baked ordinance….give them an inch and they will take a whole mile. ..please everyone BEFORE YOU EVEN CHOOSE WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN ” READ THE ORDINANCE AND THEN PROCESS IT AND DECIDE WETHER ITS FAIR TO EVERYONE AND WETHER ITS WORTH THE RISK OF SCREWING UP OUR ECONOMY IN MESQUITE..DON’T LET THE CLEAN INDOOR PEOPLE USE MESQUITE AND US ITS RESIDENTS AS THE ORDINANCES GUINEA PIG FOR EXPERIMENTS BECAUSE A GREAT DEAL OF HARM ITS GOING TO CAUSE
Mr Litman, You are correct in all of your pints. The antismoking movement os globally coordinated and has a history of manipulating data to achieve tier totalitarian ends.
As an example of antismoker propaganda, consider the false reports of ‘heart attack miracles’ after bans were imposed. See Shetty, K. D., DeLeire, T., White, C. and Bhattacharya, J. (2011), Changes in U.S. hospitalization and mortality rates following smoking bans. J. Pol. Anal. Manage., 30: 6–28. doi:10.1002/pam.20548
Abstract: “U.S. state and local governments have increasingly adopted restrictions on smoking in public places. This paper analyzes nationally representative databases, including the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, to compare short-term changes in mortality and hospitalization rates in smoking-restricted regions with control regions. In contrast with smaller regional studies, we find that smoking bans are not associated with statistically significant short-term declines in mortality or hospital admissions for myocardial infarction or other diseases. An analysis simulating smaller studies using subsamples reveals that large short-term increases in myocardial infarction incidence following a smoking ban are as common as the large decreases reported in the published literature.”
Very good article Mr. Mayor. You continue to prove exactly why the good citizens of Mesquite elected you, twice. This ordinance will do much more harm than good if passed. I sincerely hope the citizens of Mesquite will actually read the ordinance before voting instead of believing the scare tactics being used by the clean air people. Their continued use of ambiguous “facts and figures” that do not relate to Mesquite are very misleading. From a business stand point, this could be suicide for our city.
What a great common sense article. Thank you Mr. Mayor
Mayor Al Litman sure has lots of questions about the proposed clean indoor air ordinance. It’s too bad he’s asking them in the newspaper, however, instead of in city council chambers.
Citizens have urged city leaders to discuss and debate this issue for months. But a majority of council members have refused to move it forward.
What are they scared of? The truth, it seems. If the ordinance were to go to a public hearing, city leaders know that to argue against it means they’d be arguing against public health and common sense.
Exposure to secondhand smoke kills people and makes them sick. Going smokefree in public areas, on the other hand, would save lives.
It also would save money – to the tune of $2.6 million each year in health care savings, just here in Mesquite.
Mayor Litman disputes those findings, too. But not in City Hall. Just in his newspaper column. If he did it in public, he knows he’d be proven wrong.
Mesquite citizens are moving forward to place the ordinance on the November election ballot because Mayor Litman and a majority of city leaders have failed to act.
Let’s take charge of our community and do what’s right to save lives and money here in Mesquite.
Mike bangel from California no doubt you know as a nurse I was exposed to so many diseases i couldn’t tell you..lets see meningitis, pneumonia, neurotoxins, TB, shingles, streptococcal pneumonia, oral infections, not to.mention flu symptoms and god knows what was draining out of their open wounds. Where on earth do you come up with those figures of 2.6 million dollars? Ya thats probably the average bill one gets from that” for profit hospital “we have but that’s another story. Don’t criticize our wonderful Mayor I’m sure you don’t have the seniority here in Mesquite and don’t speak for us.
Mike has one vote. So do you. You do not have seniority.
Sir,
I have no questions about the Nevada Clean Air Act or the proposed ordinance as I have read it numerous times. The Smoke Free Mesquite people have every right to gather signatures and place the ordinance on the ballot should it qualify. Those opposed have every legal right to challenge this also. I have every right to present the facts as i know them. That’s what makes this country so great. The issues go far beyond just trying to protect the health of others. Read the ordinance.
I am a former smoker. I smoke for fifty years and it really did it’s damage. However, I also owned a restaurant and when California banned smoking we lost thirty-six percent in our sales. Even though we had a smoking area completely separate from the non-smoking with separate air filtration systems. We had workers chose which section they wanted to work in. Actually more servers smoke than not. It is my opinion, that these private businesses and the most that any city can require is separate areas for smoking with separate air systems. There is a beautiful Casino in Shingle Springs. California. separate floors for smoking and non smoking. Excellent. You see, now I must hold my breath to walk into Gregory’s or the buffet. I have much further to go for Kathryn’s, but it is worth it. I say compromise. And I pray for those still smoking that someday they will be able to quit. My lung collapsed in 2014, quite a nightmare.
Mayor Al you are awesome thats why I voted for you! You are intelligent, and you are looking out for Mesquite. What a great article thank you!
So I’m guessing you all that are so concerned over everyone ELSE’S health don’t believe that BBQs, fire pits, campfires, wood burning fire places, or even cooking (heaven forbid we should burn something) should be allowed either indoors or out…Don’t they all produce the second hand smoke that you say is so harmful to everyone? Shoot if second hand smoke was nearly as bad as you all claim it is I’m SHOCKED, completely blown away that we have a living, breathing, firefighter left in this world, or a camper or mid westerner with wood burning fireplace that isn’t touting around an Iron Lung because we’ve all grown up or chosen to put ourselves in these completely dangerous situations. Situations where second hand smoke is in far greater volume than being around someone smoking outside at a park or my next door neighbor.
As far as the casinos…What is that old saying my grandma use to use…Oh yeah, “If you don’t like the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” Sometimes those old cliches fit quite nicely in today’s world too.
If your neighbor’s smoke is really bothering you…What happened to being respectful and working things out in a “Neighborly Way” without trying to impose these insane ordinances that take away personal freedom?
If your neighbor’s small amount of cigarette smoke bothers you then your neighbor’s very large amount of BBQ smoke must also bother you…are you going to want to ban that too?..under the same guise “for EVERYONE ELSE’s sake.” A few people REALLY object, many are getting paid big bucks by the campaign to object, (some of us know this because one of the campaign heads and former Co-Worker told us;she even bragged about how much she was making, and it was substantial), they’re not in it because they REALLY care, but in any case, their objection “FOR EVERYONE ELSE’s BENEFIT” just doesn’t cut the mustard when most everyone else likes the fact that they live in a free country and would rather KEEP THE FREEDOM to choose for themselves. Most of us felt pretty confident about those freedoms, especially the first time, “You can’t tell me what to do anymore!” came out of our mouths aimed toward our parents. Many of us have been living with our own choices since, some longer than others, and believe it or not, we’d like to continue; even those who don’t smoke.
If you ban smoking in our casinos, people will CHOOSE to go to Las Vegas where they can enjoy it ALL TOGETHER; its not far, especially when someone has traveled a distance for a vacation. Most will be flying into McCarran anyway, they might as well stay in SIN CITY rather than come to a little rural town that has such restrictive laws that they won’t be allowed to smoke. Others who don’t smoke will just look at the restrictions on smoking and figure this in NOT the place for fun which is what most look for in a vacation. We’ll have to change the spelling of the name of our town to fit the new slogan of course, “There is no F-U-N in Mesqite” but I’m afraid it won’t attract much business; Mesquite will never be “What Vegas Used to Be” anymore.
If we lose even a small percentage of business people will lose jobs and eventually employees won’t be able to afford to live here anymore this whole mess will trickle down in the worst way.The original ‘Trickle Down’ theory, in practice, has proven to be as elusive as Big Foot but you’ll be able to meet it’s evil twin in this case.
The small businesses who operate on shoe strings will lose a few clients and those who barely scrape through the lean months won’t be able to… and they’ll close.
Let’s talk about the loss of residents who can’t afford to work outside the casino or those who’ve had to close their business and still support the high housing costs. They certainly won’t be supporting the casinos or even the restaurants as much… so budgets get cut and more people lose their jobs… People eventually will move away, and pretty soon you have 50…100…more people who no longer shop at Smiths, Walmart and budgets tighten in those stores meaning the loss of more jobs and more people who can afford to live here and they move away…now Smith’s and Walmart have lost a hundred more shoppers and so on; it will perpetuate into a very foreseeable nightmare.
I have been a nurse since the 1950’s. We used precautions, gown s, mask etc. . We can not avoid the toxins in the air without wearing a mask. I deserve the right to breath clean air. I also was exposed to many contagious diseas, never did contract them. Guess we had good technique. Tell me how to live in Mesquite and avoid the deadly second hand smoke.
Stay out of the casinos. That is the only public building where you could possibly be exposed…STAY OUT, pretty simple way to avoid the deadly smoke. The only way you can be around it is by your own choice, nobody is holding you down and blowing it into your face and the casinos don’t spew it into the air. You’re far more likely to get lung disease from the dust or wild fire fall out which which I’m sure you’re exposed to far more often than you are to cigarettes in public unless you are constantly in the casinos. You also have far more dining options just 40 minutes away if you really cared to avoid the smoke. We have on place, the casinos where we can smoke….you have hundreds of places without. Why are you all being so greedy that you want it all?
This is how liberals work they want it there way and then tell you what to do.hmmmm
Elizabeth don’t discredit me as a nurse I too used every precaution there was available but when they’re doing blood work on a patient and send them up to your floor without results you might not be aware of what they have tiil hours later…i respect your service as a nurse but dont discredit mine.
WOW! Teri N. Impressive read! Kuddos!
i was not here when Nevada was proposing to ban smoking in restaurants. However, your column was probably taken word for word from a column in those days. All doom and gloom. Nevada will some day come to its senses and ban smoking in all public spaces including casinos. What then? Are people going to drive thousands of miles to find a casino where they can smoke? It is great that you are a proponent of free choice. I assume you favor a wmen’s right to choose and favor same sex weddings. We do not want the government to tell us what to do. While we are at it, let’s let the casinos regulate themselves. Instead of keeping six percent on slots, let them take 50%. No need to get governmen involved. The same for restaurants. No more health inspections. Why Panda Gardens would still be open for business. No more speed limits on I-15. And no more police. We do not need laws so we do not need anyone to enforce them.
You go to extremes sir but then again, so does this ban.
I do not go to extremes. Smoke free workplaces will come to Nevada whether you want it or not. It is up to the casino management to modify their business model to change with the times. Restaurants have survived and so will the casinos with good managers. You and your smoker friends can smoke at your house and it will not impact my health.
David,
Have you looked around Mesquite Lately? There are smoke free workplaces all over. The only workplace there is smoke is in the casino. So if smoke free workplaces are what you’re looking for, great; they’re already here….Bravo, now you can stop complaining about the one that isn’t smoke free. How is it that you can tell the casino management that the times are here…they haven’t yet brought a smoke free casino to Mesquite so there is no business model. How about you make that “model” happen yourself and be your own guinea pig for your argument. If your casino is a success, then you can tell The others it works and maybe they’ll change…or maybe you’ll just have to wait until those times come on their own but it’s not now and not by the standards set in this particular initiative which restricts my smoker friends from smoking in some of their own homes because they are attached properties. AGAIN…I will say but nobody pays any attention…. I don’t think as many as you think are against the smoke in the casinos as much as they are against the OTHER EXTREME restrictions in this particular initiative.
You sir are a Narcissist you do go to extremes You have not been out here long enough as I know you came from California. To bring Womens choices, lesbian marriages, and casinos are a scam sorry you are a one sided extremist and a Bigot. You have to associate yourself with other bigotry to hate the minorities called smokers. It is inevitable that people will always find a need to hate…been that way since the beginning of time. Whether it be sexual preference or lifestyle choices..small interest groups want to force their bigotry on others.Teri is not a bad person in fact I think she is rather intelligent and her comments are well thought thru unlike yours David..you go off on a tangent bout gays and closing down casinos. Enough said on David re read any of Stevens or
Teri’s comments again two different views but very smart people
Mr. Littman we all should be concerned about the casinos ability to generate revenue and pay taxes to the city. Have not been able to find the tax contribution made by the casinos to our budget but it must be tremendous. That can be the only reason you are willing to put the health and welfare of Mesquite citizens, visitors and workers ahead of the unproven economic impact you stated.
Too bad you and others who have responded do not have access to the internet where you could do your own research and see the studies done by the CDC, Nevada colleges, etc. They have studies on gambling and smokers in Nevada in case you don’t know. Why do you think that they put those messages on cigarette packs? I guess we should let people smoke on airplanes as it must be a terrible impact on air carriers financials.
You must not go into the casinos as you said you do not smoke. If you walked through a casino you would know that you are, in fact, smoking. If you don’t believe the statistics put on a clean shirt, walk through any of the casinos and then take it off and smell it. That smell is smoke that the shirt “inhaled” (and you did too).
As they say “it is always about the money”. Shame on you and the city council (who do have ties to all the local businesses) for refusing to even discuss this important issue.
This goes way past the money and please don’t lecture me about statistics. I taught graduate school Statistics at Pepperdine University. I have no ties to any business, If you believe everything you read on the internet I feel sorry for you, as ANYONE can post what they want online. Yes, smoking is dangerous to you health and I don’t smoke, but I do consider our freedoms to make choices. If the casino industry should fail, you will need another place to live. Your taxes will go through the roof. It’s fact, not speculation.
What it boils down to is: NON-Smokers Have A RIGHT TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR. If smokers were considerate, they would not expose the toxins to the public. This is why we need rules and regulations.
Fact: SECOND-HAND SMOKE KILLS, it ‘s just slower than a gun.
I will repeat, if you want a smoke free casino so you can gamble without being exposed, it’s a free country, BUILD ONE YOURSELF…you have that right too; then you can run it YOUR way. You absolutely have the right to breath clean air, so stay out of the only place indoors where you can’t, THE CASINO.
You nor anyone else has the right to tell another business owner how to run theirs. If you don’t like their business practices, don’t be their customer. ALL OF THOSE ARE ALSO YOUR RIGHT.
We smokers have ONLY one place in town where we can smoke indoors, your GREED in wanting it all is ridiculous. You can’t leave us our one place? There are more places in town you aren’t exposed than places you are.
If you are so concerned about breathing clean air, you sure failed in that mission by moving to a town that is often smog filled with smoke from the wildfires and let’s not talk about the dust and didn’t you know the casinos were here when you moved and that they allowed smoking? You’re right, you have a right to breath clean air, too bad you didn’t CHOOSE a place to live where you could; instead you chose to move to a town that had casinos that allowed smoking and you were apparently ok with that at the time. I’m thinking Montana, Wyoming…even Alaska would have been far more accommodating to your “RIGHT”
FACT: SECOND HAND SMOKE DOESN’T KILL EVERYONE it kills an ESTIMATED 0.01% of the population yearly, only about 42000 deaths a year. Car accidents kill 1.3 million people a year or .4% of the population…that risk is far greater to you, do you drive? You’re far more likely to kill yourself than our cigarettes are to kill you.
Chronic lower respiratory disease is listed as the number three cause of death but nothing points those numbers as being directly related to second hand smoke from cigarettes specifically. There are industrial areas that pollute your air far more than any amount of cigarette smoke could. Have you seen the smoke spewing from the chimneys along 1-15 South between here and Vegas? Let’s all get real here and put some things into perspective. This town was built on the casino business and now everyone want to take away the casino’s business and if you do that, there won’t be any more business other than Deep Roots that are able to support this town financially but if the casinos go, Deep Roots probably will also…I mean after all…who’ll be around to patronize them?
The majority of studies on the issue reach a different conclusion—over 70 studies including the two most robust studies (Boffetta and Engstrom & Kabet showed no adverse effects under normal exposures). The second hand smoke ruse was developed to stigmatize and denormalize smoking and smokers.
See Boffetta, et al: Multicenter Case-Control Study of Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Lung Cancer in Europe, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 90, No. 19, October 7, 1998: “public indoor settings did not represent an important source of ETS exposure.” (This case-control study used data from the IARC. The period of enrollment of case and control subjects was from 1988 to 1994–16 years; IARC=International Agency for Research on Cancer.}
This large study looked at 38 years worth of data: Enstrom, JE and Kabat, GC. Environmental tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality in a prospective study of Californians, 1960-98 BMJ 2003; 326:1057.This study found “No significant associations were found for current or former exposure to environmental tobacco smoke before or after adjusting for seven confounders and before or after excluding participants with pre-existing disease.” (This prospective study used American Cancer Society dataset.)
Thank you for that information
Years ago, when the recession hit we spoke with several people who had been laid off from either the Oasis or Virgin River needless to say they were worried and upset. A likable young man who had been cleaning rooms began to cry as he told us of his situation. He did not know how he would take care of his family. I struggled for something comforting to say to this man.
It seems to me that most of Mesquites clean air activists are retired pensioners who would not be affected at all by lay offs, that makes this grand experiment economically risk free for them. Said activists argue that there will be no economic effects but that is only their unprovable opinion. I have to ask what will we say to anyone who is laid off, loses hours or tip income? Clean air Mesquite says; LET THEM EAT CAKE!
I’m just going to put this out there the same gal that I worked with, one of the initial leaders of the Mesquite Citizens for Clean Air pack, SHE has a strong gambling habit, you’ll see her in the casino every day, possibly with a cocktail. How hypocritical does it seem to you all that your fearless leader is enjoying her own vices while trying to take away the vice of others because ours bothers her? Same gal also got good bucks to run the campaign. But again I say, it’s still her choice and obviously her own vices are much stronger than her own desire to stay healthy…it’s the only place she could possibly be exposed to second hand smoke yet she chooses to gamble in the harmful, smoke-filled casino DAILY and expose herself to the risk. If it’s the casino you want to be at, what makes you think your vices should be o.k. but not anyone else’s?
I’m just not sure why all the gambling/drinking non smokers, who strongly object to our “forcing” our smoke on you, don’t get together and partner in their own NON SMOKING CASINO or find someone willing to build that business for them. There is the perfect answer to your dilemma and ours. You can then be your own best customers because it’s unlikely you’ll have many others. BUT at least you can concentrate on your own business, in clean air, and keep yourself too busy to tell others’ how to run theirs.
People are also not forced to move here and work in a casino, nor is anyone who presently lives here. It is their choice because the money is good and why should it bother any of you that they take that risk for themselves? It’s not your place to protect them, they know the risks, the environment and still CHOOSE to be there. Nobody is forcing anybody to work in the Casino Industry, they do it because it’s lucrative and the benefits out weigh the risks in their eyes. It’s the same risk anyone takes when drinking and driving, doing drugs, breaking the law…they know there’s a chance that something bad will happen but they do it anyway because they WANT to. Don’t pretend to be protecting their rights in your fight not to be exposed…ANYONE WHO DOESN’T LIKE THE SMOKE HAS THE RIGHT TO STAY AWAY FROM IT. There is only one public place you could possibly be exposed and if your gambling habit is stronger than your desire to stay healthy…sorry about that, but it’s still your choice.
People don’t have to expose themselves to it at the casinos either using the excuse, “Our food options are limited”, St. George isn’t clear across the country, there are tons of options there. Again, choice vs. consequence…all who are complaining have the choice to stay away or suffer the consequences of not.
If you really think you’re forced because of lack of food choices, well, there’s always a good home cooked meal, or find someone willing to open a Golden Corral or other buffet style restaurant, in Mesquite, outside of the casino…problem solved creating even more jobs, a new business and more revenue to support the city…if there are so many of you who actually support this, it can’t lose.
I think it’s a conflict of interest for the editor (Teri Nehrenz) to make judgments one way or the other in the newspaper.
Hi Lee,
I’m just a stringer/writer for the paper, I’ve never been the editor or in charge of making any decisions about what we print or don’t, I simply submit my stories and they either print them or not; I get paid per story like any other writer/stringer. Technically we are all independent contractors. I have worked under all of the MLN editors: Morris Workman, Kent Harper, Kirk Kern, Barbara Ellestad and now, again, Kirk Kern but I’ve never been. The people who make the editing/publishing decisions have far more experience with Journalism and far more education in that matter than I have.
Thank you Mayor Litman for clarifying issues that are in the initiative sponsored by the Clean Air Committee. You get an A+ for your effort! There has been confusion caused by petitioners who are really not aware of what the initiative says. The only way to know what it contains is to read it yourself. It is available to all on-line. Or…go back and re-read Mayor Litman’s article. I contacted several councilmen. Mr. Ballweg and Mr. Wursten responded with answers to my questions. All three of these elected officials are encouraging us to know what is in the initiative and to be aware of possible consequences. They are accessible if you have questions.
Two casinos in Mesquite have closed. We do not have the population to support the casinos left standing. Mesquite relies on out-of-town visitors. If we are the only city in Nevada with smoke-free casinos, do you really think our casinos can survive? When you read about other casinos succeeding when they went smoke-free, they were casinos located in large population centers. Mesquite is a community of less than 20,000. Of that 20,000, how many do you think support the casinos through gambling and dining?
The Clean Air Committee has very deep pockets. Who is funding their efforts? I would love an answer to that question. I didn’t even know who the members of the committee were until I saw a few names signed as verification of the initiative.
Thank you again Mr. Mayor for your well-written article.
We are all “down-winders” from 1950 era detonated atomic bombs just north of us in the Nevada desert, and yet we all made a choice to live here. Lingering radiation or second hand smoke. Yes, choices. They are what freedom and responsibility are made of in human existence. It is a very simple uncomplicated choice my friends; if cigarette smoke bothers you, don’t go where the cigarette smoke is. No need for analogies here, just make the choice that benefits you. Simple.
However, we are not dealing with simple my friends, we are dealing with an outside group of people (And you can tell by the bizarre comments from the “Clean Air Shills” on this thread that they are not of us and they are not from us). They are well funded through the likes of Socialist/ Communist psychopaths as George Soros and Michael Bloomberg. Next, I guarantee it, they well impose a “soda tax,” “gun ban,” “cow flatulence ordinance,” etc. These Socialist hate you and your freedoms, because they can’t control you if you have choices and freedoms. They are not from Mesquite. They are in essence a satanic cult wishing to destroy the very fabric of rural America (They have already succeeded in the Cities).
Unfortunately, they appeal to the ignorant, the ill-informed, and the selfish. They cannot win without the support of the the ignorant voters. This is why the Mayor’s article, as well as what Terri N. has written, are so important to understand, as they are attempting to educate the stupid people who may fall for this satanic Agenda 21 Sustainable Clean Indoor Air Nonsense. Wake up! Sheeple, wake up now! Your freedom and choices are being dismantled by Socialists. They are evil. Look at Crazy-Fornia, that state went total socialist in its administration, as the sheeple slept and suckled at the breast of government handouts.
These Clean Indoor Air-Heads need to divide and conquer. They create a Hegelian Dialect. They create opposing views, good vs. bad, smoke vs. health, black vs. white. In this manner they do divide us, the real citizens living here in the very real city called Mesquite, and in so doing, they conquer. They are not from us. They are not us. Please unite against them and convince the ignorant voter of their true agenda, enslavement and control.
Make fun of me. Call me names. Use that tin-foil hat rhetoric to marginalize my warning to you. But, my words will ring bitter to you. You have all been warned. You still have a choice, but soon you may not.
Terii and Steven for city council!!!!!!I love reading their intelligent, unbiased opinions!
Thank you Mayor Litman, I think let the property owners make the decisions. No more ridiculous laws to constrain us! Thank you for reading, understanding and sharing your opinion.