Theater Night Update 8-15-08

Hello Everyone -

I am not sure if you aware that Wisconsin is fighting for their liberties (i.e. smoking ban). They have a website www.banthebanwisconsin.com that has a lot of information. As a matter of fact, the www.banthebanminnesota.com website was modeled after theirs. Anyways, below is a look at "insider information" (i.e. the anti's). Take a look at the e-mails....this is how they work behind the scenes to accomplish their goal of "smoking bans".

Don't forget to check out the www.freedomtoact.com website...Greg has posted some interesting articles:
-Cigerette Tax Burnout
-Update on $50 refundable campaign donation
-TLM update 8-8-08
-Nanny Nation from NYT
-and more

Anyone that wants to use their refundable campaign donation, please contact me. There are many good candidates running this year that could use your/our help....candidates that support private property rights!

Sheila


A Look Behind the Scenes of How the Anti's Work (Insider Information)

Ryan over at Ban the Ban Wisconsin compiled a list of emails he was able to obtain through the use of open records requests. They are from the time periods immediately prior to several cities in Wisconsin passing their bans. Take a read (Ryan's comments are in italics):
Eau Claire
From an email dated 3/4/08 from Eau Claire city council member Dave Daux to Eau Clare city council member Bob Von Haden regarding Julian of the Eau Claire Leader Telegram
"I have talked to Julian. He is OK to talk to now. He will not publish his story until next week, probably on Thursday next week. He knows that you and Hal and I are on board. He is strictly keeping this off the record and will respect our request.

While we have had nothing but trouble with the media, it seems that where the ban is concerned, the local media is very congenial and useful.


From an email dated 3/5/08 from Smoke Free WI to Eau Claire city council members regarding a planned press conference
"I'm planning on being there in person in Monday, as well as Sarah Sahli from the American Cancer Society. I will ask Anita and Julie to help turn out some supporters to fill the room. I will also reach out to Town Hall attendees and make sure they know about the press conference."

Sounds like Smoke Free WI is going to be stocking the press conference. A good question to ask, and perhaps an answer we may never get, is if the Tavern League or any other ban opponents had advance warning or an opportunity to stock the conference? Was this a fair cross-section of the community?


From an email dated 3/8/08 from Eau Claire city council member Dave Daux to Smoke Free WI
"Liz, Thank you and your media partners so much for doing all of this work. We truly appreciate this! Without the resources of Smoke Free Wisconsin, the American Cancer Society of WI, the Lung Association of WI, and WISPIRG, we could not hope to counter the efforts of the Tavern League and big tobacco interests... Based on reliable reports I have received as of today, the Eau Claire city council appears to already have sufficient support to pass the Eau Claire Clean Air Ordinance (ECCAo)... However we must step up our efforts to get testimony at the hearing march 24, and letters, emails and calls to our city council members to adopt the ECCAo. I have no doubt that we could achieve a strong vote for ECCAo, which would send a strong message to Madison (the state Senate) to act on SB150."

Looks to me like there was a whole lot of support from outside the Eau Claire community. Additionally, it looks like these ources are working to push from the outside, further drawing into question the "for the community" argument. What is also interesting is the fact that at no point does Mr. Daux mention the health or well-being of the community while he does mention sending a message to Madison.


From an email dated 3/8/08 from Eau Claire city council member Dave Daux to Smoke Free WI and Flaherty PR
"Mike and Liz, Below see the email to the city council from Bonnie Harper, President of the Eau Claire County Tavern League. Although some of her arguments are pretty poor, could you prepare some written point-by-point responses to the arguments for our city council members? We could have them in a 'truth packet.'"

So Bonnie Harper has made some points that Dave Daux can't successfully counter himself, so he's recruiting outside help. He is also interested in doing some damage control here by preempting the rest of the city council.


From an email dated 3/8/08 from Eau Claire city council member Dave Daux to Bonnie Harper
"... In closing, let me say that I respect your opinion. The council will have a chance to hear your thoughts at the public hearing on March 24. Both sides should be heard, and the city council can and will discuss the facts and opinions offered."

Need I point out the irony here? Prior to telling Bonnie that he respects her opinion and that the council will hear both sides, Mr. Daux has already contacted Smoke Free WI and Flahrety PR to help discredit her opinions and spread the word to the rest of the city council via a "truth packet." Get the idea that he's working to stack the deck against Ms. harper before she even gets a chance?


From an email dated 3/10/08 from Eau Claire city council member Brandon Buchanan to Smoke Free Wisconsin
"I'm working to create a TV ad to promote the smoke free workplace legislation. We must get on the airwaves to counter the negative spin the tavern league is working on right now.However, to put this ad on the air, I need to raise $2,000. The ad can be on the air by THIS Saturday and run for the next two weeks. Can I count on you and your supporters to help me raise this money?"

We are bothered by the idea that a city council member is trying to raise money through Smoke Free Wisconsin to run pro-ban commercials to counter the Tavern League.


From an email dated 3/10/08 from Eau Claire city council member Brandon Buchanan to Smoke Free Wisconsin
"Do you have a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of people I could contact to donate to my re-election campaign to pay for a $2,000 TV ad for this legislation, or would you be willing to contact people personally? They don't have to live in Eau Claire; they just need to be willing to support the effort in Eau Claire."

Again, this guy is trying to raise money from outside Eau Claire to influence Eau Claire legislation. There's something very disturbing about this and something that should raise alarm in Eau Claire.


From an email dated 3/10/08 from Eau Claire city council member Brandon Buchanan to Smoke Free Wisconsin
"Even if you are not interested in helping with the financing of a TV ad, I still need help locating a cancer surviver who is willing to go on TV and give a testimony. And I need that ASAP. I can shoot the commercial TOMORROW if I have the person.If no one is willing to help me foot the bill, I will just go in debt $2,000 and tell Studio One I'll try to pay them whenever I can. So I still need to find a local person who was compromised via second hand smoke at work."

So now he is looking for help in tugging the heartstrings of Eau Claire by parading a "cancer survivor" in front of the camera.


MiddletonFrom an email dated 6/9/08 from Didi Heisler of Smoke Free Middleton to Middleton city council members et al."Maybe it's just me, but I'm really ticked. I feel like that article made us look bad. The Bristled Boar owner guy is really making us sound like jerks using the classic method of essentially lying about what we are doing (since we've made it clear that technology cannot fix the problem) and then blaming us. (Note: His bar is Madison was written up on health code violations a few years back).I am a little confused about the implications of a "no" vote from our supportive alders in the face of a delayed implementation (say, until June of 2009). If we drop this ordinance, then is there any way we could get one in place by next spring? I don't want to appear to be caving (please don't aim the large rocks at my head just now), but I need clarification: Is April an option? Obviously, I want this done yesterday, but I am not sure how ugly it is going to get about implementing this fall. It reminds me of my 3-year-old...as soon as we announce that it is bedtime, he suddenly claims that he is hungry, thirsty, etc. These tavern owners have seen this coming for years and all of a sudden, they can't get prepared in time.OK, I am more than ticked.So are we really going to walk away if they suggest June 1? Would we counter with say, April 1?"
From an email dated 6/9/08 from Ron Biendseil of Smoke Free Middleton to Middleton city council members et al. in response to Didi's email above"Don't worry about the Bristol Boar. The guy has no local credibility. He is angry, loud and abrasive, but his outlandish remarks and demands will marginalize him.I would suggest that we first say Sept. 15 is reasonable, but if October 15 gets us a deal, we can compromise. And in no case should we accept anything later than October 30 as an implementation date and ONLY if that date gets the support of at least 6 alders... And as I said before, no matter when the ordinance takes effect, they will need several months to assess whether/how the ordinance will actually affect their individual business. In reality, all this talk of delaying the implementation date is just a smoke screen for allowing them to keep the status quo."
From an email dated 6/9/08 from Smoke Free Wisconsin to Middleton city council members and Smoke Free Middleton"Good afternoon Smoke-free Middleton, In the City of Monona, the long implementation timeline was a compromise to get votes on the council that weren't there without the delay. The impending Monona Dr. construction and a council stacked in opposition to a strong smoke-free ordinance created a shaky environment to pass anything better. Monona represents a victory because the council started by talking about a three year timeline and other poison pill exemptions. In Middleton, on the other hand you have the votes to pass a clean ordinance with a reasonable timeline... My understanding is that the VFW is the only 501 (c)3 that currently operates in Middleton and would be the only exemption under private clubs as the ordinance is now written. Is that correct? If it is the case, it would speak volumes to supportive alders and to L & O Committee members if a member of the VFW (and especially an officer, like the treasurer!) reached out to them. Workers and veterans that frequent the VFW deserve protection from secondhand smoke just as much as everyone else. I will also attempt to secure a letter from a member of the VFW in Beaver Dam, which is the only smoke-free VFW in the state of Wisconsin, to share their experience... In conclusion, I recommend everyone advocate for the cleanest policy and the soonest implementation that can pass through the council."
From an email dated 6/9/08 from Didi Heisler to Middleton city council members et al."By the way...are private clubs still an issue? It turns out that my husband knows the VFW treasurer and we'd feel comfortable talking to him about this issue if people want to..."