Unhappy with smoking ban

I am worried that the City Council has lost perspective on what the people may want them to be doing.

Councilman Jack Weiss apparently states that the people of Bellingham can police themselves about secondhand smoke. Well, why doesn’t he worry about larger issues? Please, we do not need a multitude of “no smoking” signs littering our landscape to avoid secondhand smoke. I have never smoked and yet I know a lot of people in Bellingham do. I am never bothered anywhere I go by disrespectful smokers. What is this about? And signs for 25 cents a piece? Does that include installation? How gullible do you think people are? I think it is bordering on absurd and is a waste of public time and money for City Council to be dealing with this issue. I believe we have far bigger issues for City Council to work on!

I am concerned for the safety and peace of mind of the people of the city when they are in the parks, on the trails, in their homes and walking around the town with far too large a population of actively alcoholic, drug-addicted, and mentally ill people who are allowed to loiter, beg and who often steal from homes and businesses and intimidate people. When I hear that some do not want to stay at the mission because no drugs or alcohol are allowed my response is that they can choose to stay at the mission or to leave town. This situation is hurting people in the city we love far more than secondhand smoke.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Unhappy with smoking ban."