Clearing The Air

Copy letter submitted to New Jersey lawmakers, restaurant association and media

Friends in New Jersey,

I used to sell Smokeeters in bars & restaurants in MN. for 15 years, however, partial smoking bans and the threat of a statewide ban here eliminated a great paying career. I am looking for work, my cars are up for repossession my house is in foreclosure, and I recently spent 8 days in jail over Christmas (with a New Jersey inmate incidentally) for not paying child support. When the non-profits tell lawmakers that business will be unaffected, or will even increase with a ban on smoking, they are lying and need to be held accountable. I am mad as hell about smoking bans to say the least.

Anyway for the last year I have put together a weblog, and have used it to educate lawmakers about air quality facts regarding secondhand smoke. We have fought off state lawmakers from imposing a statewide ban for two years now, and one of our counties eased their smoking ban restrictions. Below are some posts about air quality facts that may interest you in your efforts.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2004/09/st-louis-park-mn-secondhand-smoke-test.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/11/did-i-miss-anything.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/12/ventilation-not-legislation.html

How I spent my Xmas holiday:
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/01/being-out-of-work-is-just-cause-for.html

One of the biggest strikes against you folks in New Jersey is the proximity to Johnson & Johnson Company who manufactures Nicoderm & Nicoderm CQ (ALZA div.) (feel free to circulate this website http://boycottjohnsonandjohnson.blogspot.com/), and whose sister organization Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supplies hundreds of millions of dollars to the non-profits to influence smoking ban legislation.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-is-pharmaceutical-company-funding.html

http://www.rwjf.org/research/researchdetail.jsp?id=2002&ia=143 $99 mill grant from RWJF to the ALA, ACS, AHA to become "activists" in pushing for smoking ban legislation

http://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/035929.htm $70 mill grant from RWJF to Tobacco Free Kids (nice sounding name, but why are they spending money to keep kids out of secondhand smoke in bars?)

You can still challange the ban as they are all passed by local government agencies who claim they have the authority because secondhand smoke poses a public health hazard, however this comparison to OSHA guidelines http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/11/did-i-miss-anything.html proves that to be a disingenuous justification.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/10/secondhand-smoke-in-bars-restaurants.html

Good luck, keep up the fight, and contact me if I can be of further help.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 10:13 AM

Effect of New Jersey smoking ban 4 years later? Casino and gaming revenue down 31%

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — In just four years, the nation's second-largest gambling market has lost nearly a third of its business.

Year-end figures released Monday show Atlantic City's casinos took in $3.6 billion in 2010, down from $5.2 billion in 2006, a decline of nearly 31 percent. The yearly decline was 9.6 percent, marking the fourth year in a row that New Jersey's casinos took in less than the year before.

What happened 4 years ago which preceded the rapid revenue decline? New Jersey enacted their smoking ban.....4 years ago ...(Atlantic City casino exemptions were only temporary according to this article).

Color us shocked. Everywhere enacted, smoking bans have decimated businesses and jobs, even though Nicoderm funded liars, er um, lobbyists like the American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, American Cancer Society, etc. told lawmakers and the public that "smoking bans are good for business".

Incidentally, a Minnesota Auditor's Office report found that the MN state smoking ban decreased revenue 31.9% in the hospitality / entertainment industry.......coincidence? ......we think not.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 6:03 AM

Do you think it's just a coincidence that the New Jersey Health Dept receives funding from Nicoderm......and then promotes smoking bans?

$160,000.00 from Nicoderm interests paid to the New Jersey Health Department.

New Jersey Health Department's promotion of smoking bans.

For proof of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) ties to pharmaceutical nicotine interests (Johnson & Johnson Company) read more here:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/01/will-there-be-investigation-into-this.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-is-pharmaceutical-company-funding.html

posted by marcus aurelius @ 9:29 PM

Trump Casinos experience financial losses brought about by the Atlantic City New Jersey smoking ban

Gaming revenue slipped to $249.1 million from $272.9 million. Trump Taj Mahal revenue fell to $122 from $132.1 million, while Trump Plaza revenue slipped to $68.2 million from $76.9 million. Revenue at the Trump Marina dipped to $58.9 million from $64 million.

The company said quarterly revenue was hurt by increased competition from Pennsylvania and New York, the promotional environment in Atlantic City and a smoking ban there.

Revenue per available room -- a metric also known as revpar -- increased 13.3 percent, to $82.51 from $72.85

The interesting thing to note here is that revenue per hotel room increased by 13.3 percent, yet gaming decreased by 8%. Smoking is still allowed in the hotel rooms, but severely limited on the casino floors. Evidently people are still going to the Atlantic City resorts, but smokers and their friends apparently don't stay and spend money where they're not welcome.

This is consistant with findings around the globe, -smoking bans financially decimate the hospitality and entertainment industry as we've seen over and over and over.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/08/washington-state-smoking-ban-is-only-9.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/07/19/casino-layoffs.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/04/scotlands-smoking-ban-has-caused-loss.html

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2005/19/c7105.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html

http://www.smokersclub.com/banloss3.htm

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/09/as-mn-house-members-hear-testimony.html

Meanwhile air quality test results prove secondhand smoke is not the hazard that Nicoderm lobbyists have "sold" to lawmakers.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 6:38 AM

FDA warns Johnson & Johnson (J & J) over their alleged hazardous drugs and kickback bribes

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-15/j-j-gets-u-s-fda-warning-on-delayed-report-of-tainted-tylenol.html

Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Johnson & Johnson, saying the drugmaker waited more than a year to notify regulators after getting complaints that tainted bottles of Tylenol sickened customers.

The medicines may have been tainted by a pesticide and flame retardant applied to wooden shipping pallets, the company said in a statement. New Brunswick, New Jersey-based J&J received about 70 complaints of musty or mildew-like odors in Tylenol caplets as well as reports of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after use, the FDA said.

“They became aware of the problem in September 2008 and their investigation and report to the agency didn’t occur until about a year later, and we would have expected action to occur sooner than that,” Hirshfield said.

The FDA’s warning letter alleged violations of manufacturing, notification and quality-control rules. It was issued the same day the U.S. Justice Department said J&J paid kickbacks to Omnicare Inc., the largest U.S. pharmacy for nursing home patients, to push prescriptions for its antipsychotic drug Risperdal.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 9:43 AM

Taking it to the streets....

I received an email from a New York City organization which is planning a grass roots effort to help citizens re-think donating to "supposed" non-profit health organizations.

NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (NYC C.L.A.S.H.) is inviting you to join in the first ever nationwide and cooperative effort, with similarly affected groups and individuals, in applying pressure on the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association and the American Heart Association to rethink their involvement in lobbying for legislation and policies that threaten your livelihoods, private property rights, and civil liberties.

Following in the footsteps of Toledo's Citizens for Common Sense -- but on a grander scale and as a united front -- we intend to call for a boycott in fundraising for, or contributions to, these three organizations who use their strength to push for smoking bans/intrusive legislation in your restaurant or bar and using your own money to do it!

In the very words of one leader of the Toledo group, printed on September 24, 2004 in the Toledo Blade:"Why do we want to contribute to a group of people that's trying to destroy our businesses, trying to tear us apart? Why should we donate to them to increase their funds to attack us? It doesn't make sense."

A prime example of their antics, and also shameless violation of the IRS code that states charitable organizations may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities, is taking place right now in New Jersey. The ACS is waging an ugly campaign in print and on radio to get a state-wide smoking ban passed by asking the public to contact the governor. They've bypassed the usual targets of their accusation -- that anyone in the hospitality industry that opposes smoking bans must be a "front for Big Tobacco" -- and have instead laid that accusation on the NJ state legislators! Lying to the public in order to make the legislators "prove" they aren't influenced by the demonized industry by passing the law is despicable behavior by nothing other than a bunch of bullies. That's not even all of it. The entire ad drips of disgust for anyone who doesn't agree with them.

Our press release will say the same as expressed here, with the greatest of decorum. And for those of you wondering and concerned about how it will look to say you will no longer fundraise for, or donate to, these organizations we fully intend to state that contributions will be redirected to any of the other thousands of worthy charitable organizations (i.e. Make a Wish Foundation) or, for instance, directly to your local hospital's cancer research where you know it goes directly into research and not to pay the salaries or propaganda campaigns of the other three who spend little of their take on actual research.

I wish NYC CLASH the best of luck, and of course will help them in any way I can. I hope everyone who reads this post will also in the future rethink their contributions. Non-profit organizations which illegally lobby our lawmakers for the elimination of industry & jobs at the behest of the pharmaceutical industry are neither looking out for your health or welfare.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 9:59 AM

Casino revenues in Colorado, Nevada and elsewhere are down due to smoking bans

Story found here:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15938989/detail.html

February statistics show casino revenue dropping to $57.9 million, down 10.1 percent compared with the same month last year. In January, proceeds fell to $56.7 million, off 3.6 percent from a year ago. -(Colorado casinos)

In Nevada, home to the Las Vegas strip and other towns with far more gambling attractions than Colorado, business has suffered. Total revenues for Nevada's casinos fell almost 5 percent in January to $1.064 billion, according to the state's gaming division.

New Jersey and Illinois also reported significant declines in the same month compared with a year ago, according to data collected by the American Gaming Association.

"....smokers also acknowledge that when they're outside smoking, they're not pumping money into the slots....."

Just keep telling yourself "....smoking bans are good for business.....".

That's what Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the non-profits in their employ, and Nicoderm manufacturer Johnson & Johnson Company keep repeating.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 8:56 PM

Former Virginia Gov Tim Kaine chastises Republican candidate Bob McDonnell for not embracing government policy that eliminates jobs

From AP comes this story:

Gov. Tim Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, questioned the character of Republican Bob McDonnell, who has a strong lead in the polls. Kaine is barred by Virginia's Constitution from seeking re- election.

He (Kaine) cited McDonnell's opposition to the state's restaurant smoking ban, due to take effect Dec. 1.......as reason not to elect pro-business, pro-jobs candidate Bob McDonnell?

Anti-business lawmaker Tim Kaine, seems to have conveniently ignored the fact that smoking bans all around the globe have eliminated tens of thousands of hospitality establishments and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Then again, complete control over constituents' lives and intrusive over-regulation of business seems to be a hallmark of the Democrat party these days......It appears that citizens of Virginia have had enough of both.

Update: Republican Bob McDonnell wins as Governor of Virginia, and Republican Chris Christie won as Governor of New Jersey.

It appears as though Americans have finally understood what Obama and liberals meant by hope and change, and clearly have decided massive government tax and spend, government over-regulation, and government takeover of private free market system is not the change we need.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 6:42 PM

For those still naive enough to think non-profits push for smoking ban legislation for your health...

Here are some RWJF (Nicoderm) grants to finance smoking ban legislation.

1) Increasing public debate and demand for smoke-free environments and advancing state and local smoke-free policies. (links) Awarded to: The Institute of Medicine and Public Health of New Jersey, Inc $150,000.00 +

2) Awarded to: Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke $399,950.00 So what are kids doing in the bars anyway?....this argument is a red herring.

3) Enhancing and sustaining smoke-free environments. Awarded to: American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation $1,000,000.00

4) Awarded to: Health Research Incorporated $1,500,000.00

5) Awarded to: Duke University Center for Health Policy, Law and Management $399,997.00

6) Public awareness campaign to increase the number of smoke-free communities in Illinois Awarded to: American Lung Association $138,900.00

7) Awarded to: Mission City Community Network Inc. $49,998.00

8) Center for MultiCultural Health $50,000.00

9) University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine $399,000.00 Project Director Stanton Glantz

10) Tobacco Control Resource Center Inc. $300,000.00

11) Increasing the number of smoke-free sites in the Denver metropolitan region through collaborative educational activities Awarded to: Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Alliance $149,500.00

12) University of Minnesota School of Public Health $250,000 .00

13) Promoting an increase in smoke-free workplaces and protection of Master Settlement funds for tobacco control Awarded to: American Medical Association $10,896,463.00

14) Effort to lobby lawmakers for asmoking ban in Delaware Awarded to: American Lung Association of Delaware (Wilmington, DE) Amount: $ 793,552.00 and $ 654,953.00

You can find all 497 grants here. The non-profits demand smoking ban legislation because once they accepted hundreds of millions of dollars from RWJF they became marketing spokesmen for Nicoderm & Nicoderm CQ.

As you can tell by clicking on some of the above links, RWJF has moved or deleted some of the financial grants above, perhaps as an effort to thwart further investigations. Either way it seems to be an admission of wrongdoing on the part of RWJF.

These financial grants are designed to coerce our lawmakers to enact smoking ban legislation. Grants are financed by RWJF via its ownership of $5.4 billion of Johnson & Johnson stock......profits made in part thru continued sales of Nicoderm & Nicoderm CQ. As you can see the recipients are as varied as the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Non-Smokers Rights Foundation, universities, and private "research" companies.

The source of funds used to influence lawmakers to pass smoking bans, coming from the company which profits in sales when smoking bans are implemented, makes the lobbying efforts of any of the recipients highly suspect to say the least.

The only study not funded by pharmaceutical nicotine special interests, is the St. Louis Park Environmental Health Department secondhand smoke air quality test. And the SLP results prove secondhand smoke is 150 times safer than OSHA requires. I guess that's the reason the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Non-Smokers Rights Foundation and others disapprove of the SLP study.....because they via RWJF did not manipulate (fund) those test results.

Update: Now there is the American Cancer Society air quality testing which proves secondhand smoke is up to 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA air quality regulations.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 1:52 PM

Donald Trump is smokin' mad about ignorant Atlantic City council decision

Trump blames Atlantic City council's decision to ban free market choices (smoking ban) as the reason for the downturn in revenue at his New Jersey casino. But councilmen Bruce Ward and Gene Robinson respond that the casino's reduced revenue is due to Trump's inability to operate a business.

Council members Ward & Robinson conveniently ignore this fact pointed out in an earlier posting:

The interesting thing to note here is that revenue per hotel room increased by 13.3 percent, yet gaming decreased by 8%. Smoking is still allowed in the hotel rooms, but severely limited on the casino floors. Evidently people are still going to the Atlantic City resorts, but smokers and their friends apparently don't stay and spend money where they're not welcome.

Two undeniable facts occur wherever smoking bans are enacted:

1) hospitality / casino business revenues are reduced significantly

2) smoking ban proponents will blame anything but their actions as the cause for those business losses and eventual closings.

It's time to remove anti-free market politicians from government office, and it's high time to remove the pharmaceutical nicotine lobbyists (RWJF / J & J, maker of Nicoderm) money & influence on local government.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 6:37 AM