Published St.Paul Pioneer Press - April 8, 1999 - Opinion Page “Where there’s smoke, there’s the Capitol”

St. Paul Pioneer Press Editor

Sir:

An attempt to modify Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act (SS144.414) that would ban smoking in bars and workplaces is again slithering through the State Capitol.

House File 1566 was introduced on Monday, March 16th by Representative Peggy Leppik(R), the same week received a Senate File #2036 by chief author, Senator Carol Flynn (D) and an immediate hearing by the Health and Family Security Committee, chaired by Senator John Hottinger on March 24, 1999. The bill was defeated in the committee by voice vote, but is alive and well in the House.

Dear fellow citizens, please fear this dictatorial and illegitimate legislation. The single and most important aspect of our civilization is not the power of the police and illegitimate laws, but our own desire as citizens to obey and respect the law.

The California law banning smoking in bars is unenforceable. As this canard continues there are daily confrontations between the police who are sworn to uphold the law and the citizens who consider the law an attack on their freedoms. Illegitimate laws equal anarchy and mediocrity.

Question: Why don’t these folks use the same expedience in returning our tax overcharges as they do on anti tobacco projects being fronted by non profits. If we all quit smoking and drinking, the state would go bankrupt.

Archie Anderson, President
Minnesota Smokers’ Rights Coalition

Published in the Minneapolis StarTribune April 26, 1999: Serving notice to MPAAT

St. Paul Pioneer Press Editor

Sir:

Unless there is legislative oversight of this self-appointed, self-serving concoction of professional antitobacco cartel members and they are not immediately leashed by elected representatives and brought under control by our state government, we the citizens will consider the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT), the $202 million upfront money in their possession from the tobacco lawsuit and given to Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III, to be handed out to associates and spent without government oversight, a direct attack on our representative government.

The $202 million mendaciously acquired from the people of Minnesota is considered theft. The endowment endorsed by Gov. Jesse Ventura and Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe giving MPAAT $650 million or $35 million a year for the next 25 years, to be used without oversight by citizen representatives is seen as tyranny that deserves immediate citizen response.

Archie Anderson, Coon Rapids; president, Minnesota Smokers' Rights Coalition.