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by Darkseid
on Thu Oct 23, 2008 12:17 pm |
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The city of toledo had better never ask for another tax increase-EVER. They obviously have plenty of money.
dave clark Posted Thu October 23 2008 01:14 PM
PLATINUM SHOWGIRLS CLUB
Police assist in catching smoking-ban violators
By JULIE M. McKINNON
BLADE STAFF WRITER
To the general manager of Platinum Showgirls, revenge for
successfully appealing a $100 state smoking-ban fine fueled the
health department's use of police this week to help catch smokers at
his North Toledo club.
"It was ridiculous," Kevin Clapper said yesterday of the roughly hour-
long visit to Platinum Showgirls, 5801 Telegraph Rd., by Toledo
police officers and Toledo-Lucas County Health Department officials.
"They bombarded their way in like a raid," Mr. Clapper said.
But to the health department, police supplied protection while
confronting smoking-ban violators and trying to get their
identification - not a means for retribution for the appeal Platinum
Showgirls won recently, said Alan Ruffell, the health department's
director of environmental health.
"It is our job to make sure this stops," Mr. Ruffell said of illegal
smoking.
Police assistance will be used again as the health department starts
citing customers smoking in public places, not just the
establishments they frequent, although investigating complaints about
ban violations isn't a top priority for officers, said Mr. Ruffell
and Toledo police Chief Mike Navarre.
"If we continue to get complaints, then we are going to go," Chief
Navarre said.
Three undercover police officers accompanied a health department
inspector to Platinum Showgirls about 9 p.m. Thursday, and they saw
at least seven people smoking on the main floor, Mr. Ruffell said.
He and a half dozen uniformed police officers went into the club
several minutes later, and identifications were collected, he said.
The smokers will be warned and the club issued another $100 civil
fine, Mr. Ruffell said.
One of the at least seven smokers who will be cited was an employee,
Mr. Ruffell said.
"That even strengthens our case that they're not doing anything to
control smoking," he said.
Platinum Showgirls has signs about the smoking ban and has removed
ashtrays as required by law, Mr. Clapper said.
But customers aren't told to stop smoking for fear they will become
combative or go elsewhere, and dancers are independent contractors
who can't be forced to not smoke, he said.
"It's a tough position for businesses to be in," Mr. Clapper said.
Local health departments are charged with investigating complaints
about violations of the year-old smoking ban, enforcement of which
began in May.
Warning letters are issued if violations are found, and
establishments and smokers can appeal both letters and fines.
Repeat smokers are fined $100 each time, while establishments that
continue to violate the ban are fined $100 to $2,500, depending on
the number of incidents.
During an administrative hearing last month about Platinum Showgirls'
appeal of a $100 fine, the health department was questioned about why
inspectors didn't get names of those they witnessed smoking, Mr.
Ruffell said.
Clerical errors and other problems helped Platinum Showgirls win its
appeal.
Now, instead of focusing solely on citing an establishment as it has
been since enforcement began, the health department is going to start
collecting names of smokers during inspections when accompanied by
police, Mr. Ruffell said.
Inspectors can't require smokers to hand over their identification,
but police can, he said.
Toledo has too many problems and too few officers for police to be
focusing on smokers, Mr. Clapper said.
Periodically helping the health department, as it did when the city
had a smoking ban, does not compromise other police duties, Chief
Navarre said.
"We do it when we have the resources to do it," he said.
Contact Julie M. McKinnon at:
jmckinnon@theblade. com
or 419-724-6087.
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I used to have compassion, but they legislated it and taxed it out of existence. |
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Darkseid
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Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1513
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
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by gilster
on Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:11 pm |
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What a bunch of BOOBS, afraid of citing people watching a bunch of boobs.  |
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gilster
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by Darkseid
on Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:56 am |
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| Dr. Grossman, the Lucas County BOH head, took money away from RAT CONTROL and put it toward this. Nah, no vendetta (he's an ex-smoker). |
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Darkseid
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by CigarBoy
on Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:07 am |
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| That little stunt cost a few thousand dollars to collect a $100 fine. I am going to check with the CigarBoy Legal Advisor about using police to get ID on a civil matter. The liberals will stop at nothing to expand government control over our lives. |
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CigarBoy
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Dec 09, 2006
Posts: 236
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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by Darkseid
on Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:17 pm |
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FILTHY BA$TARDS!!!
Article published Friday, October 24, 2008
CITY BUDGET DEFICIT
Mayor plans 3-day Toledo shutdown to save money by halting nonessentials
Carty Finkbeiner
Zoom | Photo Reprints
By IGNAZIO MESSINA
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday announced plans to shut down all nonessential government business for three days before the end of the year to help address the city's projected $10 million general operating fund deficit.
Mr. Finkbeiner said the move would save the city $1 million over all its funds - $300,000 of which would apply to the general fund.
"We don't like to take dollars away from our employees," the mayor said during a news conference to discuss the Chrysler LLC announcement that it would eliminate 819 union and 45 management jobs at its Toledo North Assembly plant.
"I would say, whether a person is union or nonunion, there is an understanding that the most difficult economic period in 50 years is upon us in the United States," Mr. Finkbeiner said.
The mayor said all nonemergency city departments would shut down on Nov. 26, Dec. 26, Dec. 31 and also at least four days in 2009.
That means city employees will not be paid on those days.
He said the strategy was modeled after a similar one used recently by Chicago.
Don Czerniak, president of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 7, which represents about 900 Toledo employees, said the plan would be challenged immediately.
"We do have an issue with it because we've got contract language that gives us a 40-hour paycheck," Mr. Czerniak said. "So we will have a major issue with that.
"Plus, again here [the mayor] is making a statement and inflicting something on the unions before talking to us."
Mr. Finkbeiner acknowledged that the unions would take issue with his plan, but said "a period of sacrifice is at hand for all Americans" and it would be a "small sacrifice for city employees to take off three days compared to Jeep workers who will be laid off."
The shutdown plan would be implemented in addition to mandatory two-day furloughs of nonunion employees, the mayor's staff said.
Councilman D. Michael Collins punched holes in Mr. Finkbeiner's three-day shutdown solution.
"Will grievances and unemployment be filed so we end up paying them anyway?" he asked.
"Also, people are not going to stop accumulating trash because the city government shuts down, so are we just going to end up paying more in overtime costs later on?" Mr. Collins wondered.
Theresa M. Gabriel, the mayor's assistant chief of staff, surprised council's finance committee with news of the mayor's plan at the end of a three-hour meeting that was supposed to be used to discuss what unspent capital improvement projects would be cut so that money could be applied to the budget deficit.
Councilman George Sarantou, chairman of the finance committee, said he was "profoundly disappointed" in the mayor's leadership team after the committee hearing.
"I would venture to say that today, what I have heard is less than half a million dollars," Mr. Sarantou said after the meeting. "We have a huge problem and giving up half a million is not going to do it."
Mr. Sarantou said he had expected the Finkbeiner administration to present a plan representing millions in savings that could be achieved by cutting projects.
"Instead, what I heard was, 'Oh, we can't do that' and 'We can't do this,'" he said.
Council members poured through an exhaustive list of capital projects, but were left with mostly unanswered questions and no resolution to the budgets crisis.
Among the listed unspent capital improvement money is nearly $1.1 million earmarked for infrastructure improvements to the vacant Southwyck Shopping Center and $620,000 listed simply as "Southwyck."
Mr. Collins pointed out that council on Dec. 11, 2007, approved spending the nearly $1.1 million to buy the vacant Dillard's store and its parking lot and questioned why the money was listed in the capital improvement projects budget - a completely separate fund.
Councilman Lindsay Webb demanded answers regarding the $620,000 earmark, but could not squeeze answers out of Mr. Finkbeiner's staff.
Dave Amstutz, the city's director of development, said that money would pay for "engineering items," but could not be more specific.
Ms. Webb also expressed frustration over the lack of detail in the mayor's plan to use capital project money.
Robert Reinbolt, Mr. Finkbeiner's chief of staff, said council was given a color-coded list of capital improvement projects dating to 2000 that identified $18.5 million in projects that could be eliminated.
Also, the mayor said the city could save $7.5 million a year if it privatized trash collection.
The mayor is expected this afternoon to announce other aspects of the 2009 general operating fund budget.
He is required by city charter to issue a budget estimate by Nov. 15 each year.
Council must vote on it by March 31.
Contact Ignazio Messina at:
imessina@theblade.com
or 419-724-6171. |
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Darkseid
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Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1513
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
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by gilster
on Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:04 am |
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Quote:
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday announced plans to shut down all nonessential government business for three days before the end of the year to help address the city's projected $10 million general operating fund deficit.
Aren't there cities with part-time Mayors?
That should save a bunch of money.  |
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gilster
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Apr 19, 2006
Posts: 1212
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by JEEP_GOD
on Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:10 am |
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"a period of sacrifice is at hand for all Americans"
When you start hearing this kind of $hit, you know it's just about game over folks. |
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JEEP_GOD
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jul 08, 2006
Posts: 1003
Location: Welcome to camp smoke free!!!
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by Darkseid
on Sat Oct 25, 2008 12:51 pm |
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| I know I'm about at the end of my rope, along with many others. Buy ammo. |
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Darkseid
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1513
Location: Peoples Republik of oHEILo
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by runamok
on Sat Oct 25, 2008 3:20 pm |
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"Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday announced plans to shut down all nonessential government business for three days..."
Nonessential? If it's nonessential....WHY THE F*CK DOES IT EXIST IN THE FIRST PLACE? |
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runamok
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Dec 20, 2004
Posts: 1288
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by JEEP_GOD
on Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:47 pm |
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Now there's a valid question, runamok.
Here's one for ya, Dark....
http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9236401
(snip)
"Some people are coming in due to the election coming up - kind of to hedge their bets, or get what they want before it may be banned," says Randy. "The concern is that the price of guns and ammo are going to skyrocket with any kind of ban in the future."
Me? I'm all ready to go. |
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JEEP_GOD
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jul 08, 2006
Posts: 1003
Location: Welcome to camp smoke free!!!
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