THANK YOU FOR NOT KILLING ME.

this is an actual exchange between me and my state representative, janet peterson, of house district 64. my initial email follows her reply.

the whole point of this is to encourage YOU to

contact YOUR state representative and

tell them how you feel.

LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT THEM TO
BAN ALL CIGARETTE SMOKING,
AND TO TAX THE HELL OUT OF THEM,

for example.

Hi Kim,
You are a grandpa! Unbelievable!!!

Congratulations and thanks for your support of

the Stillbirth Registry legislation.
I am planning to vote for the $1 increase or whatever amount

we can pass this year. I think I was a teenager

the last time Iowa passed a cigarette tax increase.

I have two tobacco control bills I sponsored this year.

1) Smoke free workplaces – including restaurants and bars – statewide

2) Local control to enact stronger smoking ordinances.

I am interested in more protections for kids too,

but want to try to focus on the above three issues first.

I chair the Commerce Committee and it will be a miracle

if we can get the votes to pass a statewide ban this year.

I am planning to work the issue though.

If you know people who care about smoke free workplaces,

ask them to contact members of the House Commerce Committee.

I won’t run the bill unless it has the votes to pass.

Janet Petersen, State Representative (D) Dist. 64
4300 Beaver Hills Drive
Des Moines, IA 50310
Ph. 515-281-3221, Seat 1 or Direct 281-7321
Ph. 515-279-9063 (Home)

From: Eeastonwest@aol.com [mailto:Eeastonwest@aol.com]

Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 5:02 AM

To: Petersen, Janet [LEGIS]

Subject: [MAYBE SPAM] ban ALL public smoking--inside AND out

janet--
greetings, and welcome to another session.

thank GOODNESS the dems are in control.
for years i have suffered the outrageous antics,

positions and statements of that fool christopher rants--

is he from kentucky, or what?
PLEASE tighten the noose around the throats of cigarette smokers in iowa

==please make them pay, and move out of my way.
1--RAISE the tax per pack. $1.00? not enough.

why must i pay for illnesses caused by their fatal choices?
2--ban all outdoor cigarette [and other tobacco] smoking

within 100 feet of the entrance to ANY public building.
3--ban all indoor cigarette [and other tobacco smoking]

in all public buildings, including bars and restaurants.

i'd love to go see live music again.

and i can only assume there are many restaurants

that have opened in the past ten years that i might like,

if i could only go and not be made ill by other people's smoke.
4--make it illegal, punishable under the current laws [child endangerment]

to smoke cigarettes within 25 feet of any child

under the age of eighteen--ANYWHERE! in a car, in a home, camping, ANYWHERE!

why seatbelt them in if they are forced to inhale toxic fumes?

it's no worse than making them sit in a house or car

filled with smoke from crack cocaine, is it?
janet, you will NOT lose support among your constituents if

you introduce and support any or all of these measures.

and as a public defender since 1983,

i have seen countless child endangerment charges on factual bases

MUCH more lethal than exposure to cigarette smoke.
PLEASE introduce and enact REAL protective legislation for the public.
thanks. and by the way, congratulations on your efforts at childhood

AND the monitoring of fetal deaths.

my daughter has made me the proud grandfather

of a now 2 1/2 year old little girl, and another is on the way,

due in late july.

she has suffered through three late-first/early second trimester miscarriages,

but her experiences, and those of a friend whose fetus died

two weeks before its due date, served to underscore the need

for close study of the causes and prevention of such tragic events.
truly and sincerely i remain
kim west
1527 48th
des moines

--the mostly reverend grandpa kim

the orphanage, capitol city, iowa

when I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.

then I realized that the lord doesn't work that way,

so I stole one and asked for forgiveness. -emo philips, comedian (1956- )

learn more at today's sermonette ,

and for ride info, turn to the g-spot...the central iowa ride bulletin board