Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Smoking Nannyism

The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan has joined the nannying ranks who desire to drive smoking to an underground activity, proposing a $50.00 fine for individuals who violate the city’s workplace smoking ban.

The city’s assistant city manager, Greg Sundstrom, states the following as justification for the $50.00 fine.

Assistant City Manager Greg Sundstrom said a proposed $50 fine for violating the city’s new workplace smoking ban meets his “Three Bears” test.

“It’s not too big, not too small,” Sundstrom said of the fine that city commissioners approved 5-2 today. “Our goal was not to be punitive; we wanted to change behavior."

Now that’s a real adult test of the appropriateness of legislation which impinges upon the rights of individuals and businesses, the “Three Bears” nursery story, which in times of old was read by nannies to little children after being tucked into bed.

And since when is a $50.00 fine not punitive?

Commission approves fines for smoking at work

Posted by John Venlet on 06/19 at 03:25 PM
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