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Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:58:28 -0500 (EST)
To: improvetheworld &AElig umich.edu
From: Daniel Reeves <dreeves &AElig umich.edu>
Subject: contacting your (or others') representatives
Status: RO

Wanted to share this response from a Wayne county commissioner.  Proof
that letters to representatives (especially local ones) have real effect.

This particular result was somewhat pathetic.  The state of Michigan
doesn't allow any locality to ban smoking in restaurants or bars.  But
Wayne county (Detroit's county) finally joined Washtenaw (Ann Arbor's
county) and others in at least banning smoking in all other workplaces.
It wouldn't have occurred to me that there existed any other workplaces
that allow smoking but apparently assembly line type factories were one,
or at least they had had smoking areas, which is why the UAW had a
half-hearted objection.

Anyway, a step in the right direction...


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 13:00:12 -0500
To: pcavanagh &AElig westgroup.com
From: Philip Cavanagh <pcavanag &AElig co.wayne.mi.us>
Subject: Wayne County Clean Indoor Air Regulation

Dear Friend,

I wanted to take the time to share some information with you regarding the
Wayne County Clean Indoor Air Regulation.

As you may already know, I have strongly supported this proposal from the
start.  While this regulation has been considered, my office received 302
emails (after deleting duplicate emails from the same person), phone
calls, and faxes regarding this proposal.  Most were from Wayne County but
outside my Commission District; some were from other Counties in Michigan;
and a few came from as far away as California and Florida!  Of those
emails, phone calls, and faxes from my district (which includes Redford
Township, Garden City, and Dearborn Heights), all but one was in favor of
the proposal.  Of those from within Wayne County but outside my district,
all but seven were in favor of the proposal.  Of those from outside Wayne
County, all were in favor of the proposal.  Interestingly, of those from
the City of Detroit (which will not be affected by this proposal, as
Detroit has an independent Department of Public Health) all were in favor.
The total supporting the proposal was 294, to 8 opposed.  Many of you
shared stories of how first and second hand smoke has harmed the health of
yourself or someone you love, and I want to thank you personally for
fighting to prevent the same thing from happening to other people.

At the Wayne County Commission meeting held yesterday, March 17, 2005, the
Commission voted 6 to 4 to reject the so-called "UAW Amendment," which
would exempt union work sites from this regulation -- I voted with the
majority.  The Commission then voted 7 to 2 (with one abstention) in favor
of the workplace smoking ban regulation.  I again voted with the majority
to protect the health and well being of Wayne County citizens and
visitors.

Lastly, several of you wrote about smoking in restaurants and bars.  It is
important to note that the proposed Wayne County Clean Indoor Air
Regulation will not impact smoking in these businesses, as state law
regulates smoking in restaurants and bars.  This is an issue for the State
Legislature and Governor Granholm to consider.

Sincerely,

Philip M. Cavanagh
Wayne County Commissioner
District 9