Smoking in Santee Parks? Vote Now
The issue of smoking in Santee Parks reached a fever pitch in late January, and now that things have calmed down a bit, it's time to see what the majority of Santee Patch readers think about it.
The conversation about Santee's tobacco policies began last year when the Tobacco Association gave the city an F in their report on tobacco control. Mayor Randy Voepel wrote a piece claiming the F is for Freedom, defending the city's policies, and things went from there.
Things picked up again this year when Santee received another F in the report and local activist Joe Spencer took up the cause focusing on the fact that Santee is the only city in the county that allows smoking in its parks.
If you want to catch up, here are the relevant stories and opinion pieces in Chronological Order:
Association Gives Santee an 'F' in Tobacco Control Policies
Santee Mayor Explains City's 'F for Freedom' Tobacco Grade
Santee's Failing Tobacco Grade: Response to Mayor's Letter
Santee Gets Another 'F' in State of Tobacco Report
Letter to the Council: Smoking in Santee's Parks
Smoking: 'You Stay Out of My Life, and I’ll Stay Out of Yours'
Feel Free To Smoke In Santee Parks... But Get Your Fortune Told Elsewhere
Letter to the Editor: Support for Smoke-Free Parks
This is an issue that seems to sum up Santee's politics, and is even mentioned in a blog analyzing city leadership: Santee Newbie Question One: Who's In-Charge?
For more information, a new Facebook page for Smoke Free Santee has recently been set up.