Monday, November 16, 2009

Who We Are: In Response to Recent Inquiries

Smoke Free Indy is a coalition of state and local public health organizations, community based organizations, physicians, businesses, schools, the faith community, and Marion County residents dedicated to reducing secondhand smoke, tobacco usage and tobacco initiation through education, prevention and advocacy. Our coalition membership includes many state, local and national organizations, including but not limited to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and American Lung Association of Indiana. For a complete list of Smoke Free Indy’s coalition partners, please visit www.smokefreeindy.com.

The organizations that are partners in Smoke Free Indy are committed to the principles of the coalition at the direction of their own governing bodies and donors. Our partner organizations are in compliance with local, state and federal laws. Smoke Free Indy does not receive federal funds and therefore is not in violation of the Hatch Act, as has been suggested.

Internal tobacco industry documents now available to us show clearly that one of the key tactics the tobacco industry uses to undermine effective policy change is to make false claims of illegal political activity or lobbying so they can smear a tobacco-free coalition's efforts. More information can be found here: http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/TCRB/monographs/16/m16_8.pdf.

Smoke Free Indy remains focused on the health of Indianapolis workers and we are hopeful that the City-County Council will continue to work to protect all workers in Indianapolis from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

2 comments:

LOLA said...

Thank you for the clear and concise message to those who are stirring up nonexistent problems. Those who have had questions on how or why some coalition members can lobby and those that cannot are really in two categories. They either are just trying to cause trouble where there is none to take away time and resources of Smoke Free Indy from the true issue at hand - that all workers deserve smokefree air- OR They are too slow and dimwitted to comprehend the complexities of coalitions, the differentiation between non profit and not for profit organizations. Those who are ill equipped intellectually to understand tax codes and what is or isn't allowed by various and varied organizations and individuals included in a true coalition should not try to ask ignorant questions. It is clear that Carl Brizzi by even giving these allegations the time of day is also someone that those working for health reform in this city and county should not trust.

Unknown said...

It is shameful the lengths that some will go in order to silence others. Tim Maguire is wasting public funds in an attempt to discredit Smoke Free Indy, and he knows he will fail. Unless, of course, he is that uninformed as a party chairman. If that is the case. He should step down.

The Federal Elections Commission ruled in 2006 that campaign regulations do not apply to most Internet activity. ALso, The rules leave blogs almost entirely unregulated. Bloggers do not have to disclose if they are receiving payments from candidates or campaigns. The FEC's reasoning is that such disclosure is unnecessary since campaigns and political committees are already required to report such payments on publicly available reports filed with the Commission.

Mr Filler had a right to speak his mind on a blog that is receiving NO PUBLIC FUNDING!!! Clearly the FEC stand behind his right.

So please. tell me Mr Maguire, why are you wasting our money. And do you intend to pay it back?