2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the Editor
Issue date: 4/5/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Dear Editor:
Spring is in the air, and soon many doors and windows will be open to let fresh air in. This makes it a good time to review the progress ISU has made on the "Clear Indoor Air" act (Title 39, Chapter 55 of the Idaho State legislature) and the "Rules Governing Indoor Smoking" (IDAPA 16.02.33 of the Idaho Administrative Code). In the spirit of the Idaho State Journal, I'd like to offer the following "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" assessment.
THUMBS UP: To the vast majority of smokers, who are complying with the law and staying at least twenty (20) feet away from doors. It takes a great deal of self-control to fight the demon of nicotine addiction.
THUMBS UP: To the Tech College administrator(s) who marked off the smoking perimeter at the entrance to the TC main offices and who provided sturdy ash cans at either end of the demarcated area for smokers to use. The clean grounds suggest that this is the way to go.
THUMBS UP: To Marshall Public Library in Pocatello Old Town for putting up an unmistakable "no smoking" sign on their front entrance and for providing information about the state laws governing smoking.
THUMBS DOWN: To those administrators who have not yet complied with the law by seeing to it that all doors are posted and all ash trays, including the wall-mounted ones, have not been removed-and kept at-a distance of at least 20 feet.
THUMBS DOWN: To those university officials who knew of this problem (and others like it) yet sat silent while last semester's "budget surplus" was given away, denying funds for compliance.
THUMBS DOWN: To the student representatives who "did as they were expected" and by doing so failed to stand firm against negligence and nepotism.
I hope that the current university president and our newly-elected student representatives will take these comments to heart. They should, like Beowulf and other heroes of yore, act in the interest of the common good and work toward compliance with the Idaho "Clean Indoor Air" Act-and not leave it as a burden for the "next generation."
Yours truly,
Monty Vierra
ISU Student
Spring is in the air, and soon many doors and windows will be open to let fresh air in. This makes it a good time to review the progress ISU has made on the "Clear Indoor Air" act (Title 39, Chapter 55 of the Idaho State legislature) and the "Rules Governing Indoor Smoking" (IDAPA 16.02.33 of the Idaho Administrative Code). In the spirit of the Idaho State Journal, I'd like to offer the following "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" assessment.
THUMBS UP: To the vast majority of smokers, who are complying with the law and staying at least twenty (20) feet away from doors. It takes a great deal of self-control to fight the demon of nicotine addiction.
THUMBS UP: To the Tech College administrator(s) who marked off the smoking perimeter at the entrance to the TC main offices and who provided sturdy ash cans at either end of the demarcated area for smokers to use. The clean grounds suggest that this is the way to go.
THUMBS UP: To Marshall Public Library in Pocatello Old Town for putting up an unmistakable "no smoking" sign on their front entrance and for providing information about the state laws governing smoking.
THUMBS DOWN: To those administrators who have not yet complied with the law by seeing to it that all doors are posted and all ash trays, including the wall-mounted ones, have not been removed-and kept at-a distance of at least 20 feet.
THUMBS DOWN: To those university officials who knew of this problem (and others like it) yet sat silent while last semester's "budget surplus" was given away, denying funds for compliance.
THUMBS DOWN: To the student representatives who "did as they were expected" and by doing so failed to stand firm against negligence and nepotism.
I hope that the current university president and our newly-elected student representatives will take these comments to heart. They should, like Beowulf and other heroes of yore, act in the interest of the common good and work toward compliance with the Idaho "Clean Indoor Air" Act-and not leave it as a burden for the "next generation."
Yours truly,
Monty Vierra
ISU Student