THE ISSUE: The City Council’s vote to extend the city’s smoking ban to public places, such as parks.
* While most New Yorkers are struggling with icy streets, unemployment and backwoods bus service, Mayor Bloomberg and his rubber-stamping City Council have prioritized extending the smoking ban to city parks and beaches. (“Council Smoke ‘Brake’,” Feb. 3).
The danger of secondhand smoke is far less than the firsthand danger of this arrogant control freak.
Kevin Cole
Glendale
* I had refused to spend any money in New York City as long as Bloomberg was mayor.
Now that the City Council has banned smoking outdoors, I will never spend a penny in the city again — and I do not even smoke.
Steve Becker
East Meadow
* As my dad used to warn, when you prohibit personal freedoms, it affects the economy. And he ought to know, as he lived through Prohibition and the Depression.
Now the City Council has passed its own prohibition.
Councilman James Gennaro even called smoking “aberrant behavior.” It’s nice to know that our lawmakers are now moonlighting as insulting shrinks.
Burton Hardy
Manhattan
* Secondhand smoke endangers all of us, especially children.
This new law might be difficult to enforce, and that’s why we should all be the smoking police and warn those lighting up that it is against the law. This might stop some from lighting that cancer stick.
Kudos to the City Council and Bloomberg for caring about the health of all New Yorkers who don’t smoke. Let the butts stop here.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks Village
* I implore all of my fellow New Yorkers to quit smoking, if even for one month.
Let’s see how these nannies scramble to make up the lost tax revenue they rob from you each time you buy a pack of cigarettes.
Our individual rights are being eroded, and it’s all based on junk science. Wake up, before the day comes when you have no rights whatsoever.
Robert Dacunto
Staten Island
* Personally, I am a lot more concerned with secondhand rap music than secondhand smoke.
Paul Grannis
Staten Island
