
The Southern.com had a good article on the true profits Ameren is making.
Whats your guess on the outcome of todays hearings?
Smoking Ban Grades
Glenn Bemis – Explained the chambers stance on the issue. Let the business owners decide which direction the business will take it. 50 businesses in Adams Co. that are smoke free.
Grade: A
Dr. Kathryn Arrambide, MD– Most of the information well known and can easily be found on the web. Stats. Stats. More Stats. Just guess coming from a Dr. makes it sound better. Read prepared stats from sheets. You can find equal contradicting information on web also. Did differ with Smoke free Coalition on taverns !! Hospitals and children locations need banned.
Grade: C+
Iris Nelson – Could only hear about 1 out of 25 words she said. Quincy making choices for Quincy?? She presented council with what to appeared as a life-sized Hallmark card full of signatures with about a total of 30 names in 2” font.
Grade: Incomplete
Mary Kallner – Touching stories about family members who have died from smoking. Seems like she’s on a personal vengeance rather than seeing the big picture of economic damage it will do. Says “it’s for the children”. (no children in bars) Said would like to see restaurants ban smoking, but does not go out for drinks so that would not bother her. Restruants, children's places, but no good reason for taverns. Would like to see smoking banned altogether, but will take “anything they can get”
Grade: D
Interruption: City Councils microphone support breaks.
Grade: F
Kathy Drea – Hired Gun brought in from
Grade: F
Steve Riedl- No Show. Jim Perry presented council a stack of petitions opposing the smoking ban.
Grade: Incomplete
Don Heck – Shot from the hip. Only person who stood up for the bar business. He knows what a smoking ban will do to the bar and tavern owners from their side of the business. Most alderman were sitting up in their chairs and listening when he spoke. He also covered both sides of the issue.
Grade: A+
Request to Speak
Written request to speak under suspended rules by Glenn Bemis, Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, 300 Civic Center Plaza; Dr. Kathryn Arrambide, MD, 11th & Broadway; Iris Nelson, President, League of Women Voters, 1011 S. 21st; Mary Kallner, 1520 S. 28th; Kathy Drea, Public Policy, American Lung Association of Illinois, 3000 Kelly Lane, Springfield, IL,; Steve Riedl, Executive Director of Illinois Licensed Beverage Assoc., Springfield, IL; and Don Heck, Attorney, 300 N. 6th, regarding the potential city wide smoking ban ordinance.