That is funny. Yesterday I commented on this article and so did about 20 others. Most not agreeing with the City. Does Mt. View Voice just delete comments that don't agree with the City? [Sorry. The original thread is below. Somehow a duplicate thread was started. Ed.]

Did I miss something? The City is banning smoking but is still going to spend $14,000 on cigarette but receptacles on Castro Street? What kind of decision is that?

It looks like I have the same problem as Ed. I tried to post a well thought out response in opposition to the new smoking ban and it was never published? Why? I will try again with this post. It appears to me that the Mountain View City Council has not fully considered the consequences of the new smoking ban. Instead of reducing exposure to second hand smoke, it will increase it exponentially as smoker's are forced from their isolated and dedicated smoking areas, out into the general public. They will be smoking in the parking lots and on the streets instead of being contained in the patios that allow smoking. It also seems that the council is OK with persecuting a minority as long as that minority is smokers. Smokers can be banned from the streets, restaurants, stores, places of business, even housing all because they engage in an activity that is legal. Even in the worst days of the Civil Rights movement, Blacks had their own separate areas where they could go out to eat, drink, and be entertained. By passing this ban, the Council will be relegating smokers to the rank of second-class citizens. We pay our taxes like everyone else. We are part of the community and yet like the lepers of old, we are told that we are unwanted, undesired, and unwelcome. If this ban passes, where can we go? What can we do? Non-smokers should ask themselves what they would think and how they would feel if they could be banned from every business in Mountain View simply because the Council decided that there was some aspect of their behavior that the Council disagreed with? What if the Council banned all drinkers? Or all people who eat red meat? Or children because they can be loud and annoy others? No matter how noble the reason, discrimination and intolerance cannot be codified into law. Smokers have the same rights as everyone else. There are thousands of businesses and restaurants that cater to non-smokers in Mountain View, why should not smokers not be allowed to have the dozen or less that choose to cater to them? What happened to freedom of choice and fairness? What happened to the Constitution? -- Cowboy Jim Neal

I think this is ridiculous. It should be up to the owner to decide whether or not smoking is allowed on their patio. I have lived in Mountain View almost all of my life. I like Mountain View because it is cool and laid back. People are friendly. It has a little bit of a small town vibe. I recently bought a house in Mountain View. One of the things I really enjoy doing is sitting out on the patio with my friends and have a cigar and a few drinks. And now you are taking that away? All so Mountain View can make an extra 50k? That seems ridiculous to me. Why not just raise local taxes on tobacco? Oh.. wait.. you would have to have a vote by the residents on that. Right? This way you can line the town coffers with a measly 50k just by a vote of a small group of people who, somehow, think they have the best interests of their constituents in mind. I can't wait for the next general election. I will work endlessly against the council members that approve this. For taking my freedoms away. Seriously? Really?