Kirkwood anti-smoking group has raised $830
KIRKWOOD – Healthy Air for Kirkwood, the sponsor of an initiative to ban smoking in indoor public places, has raised $830 and spent $33.56 thus far, a campaign finance report says. Voters will consider the proposal in November.
The report has only one listed donor, Dr. Anthony M. Masi, a lung specialist from Kirkwood, who contributed $200. All other contributers gave $100 or less; the group does not have to identify them. Debra Cotten, the campaign treasurer and group spokeswoman, said all the unidentified donors are Kirkwood residents.
Healthy Air filed last Monday its quarterly report with the state Ethics Commission. The document covered campaign activity from April 1 to June 30.
The group, which organized in March, has not concentrated on fund raising thus far, she said. It wanted to be sure that its proposal would be on the ballot, she said.
“We will put together a plan and a budget,” Cotten said. “We need to put together a strategy,” she said.
Choose Kirkwood, a group proposing a competing initiative has not filed a campaign finance report.
With very few exceptions, the anti-smoking measure would allow smoking only in private homes, private vehicles and outdoors. Among exceptions are 20 percent of hotel and motel rooms designated smoking rooms, private clubs established before March 1 and retail tobacco stores.
Rather than prohibit smoking in indoor public places, Choose Kirkwood’s initiative would require their operators to post signs saying whether smoking is permitted, restricted or forbidden.


I live in O’Fallon Missouri, and although I’m not a smoker, I would encourage anyone that does smoke to start buying your cigarettes in a city that does not haev the smoking ban. “We don’t want you smoking in our city but we’ll gladly take the money you pay in taxes”. Take your money elsewhere. Oh and by the way, while your going to the “Other” city to buy your smokes, go ahead and gas your car up and grab your groceries while you’re at it!
Whoa, $830?! And they’ve already spent $33.56?! What’s the next headline going to say…’Local Girl Scout Sells Box of Thin Mints, Miniscule Proceeds Benefit Something we don’t Care About’?
Cotten’s strategic plan and budget should not take too long to develop, considering the fact that she only has 830.00 to budget …..Is this worthy of print at this stage??? Why not wait until the remaining $1.98 comes in , reflecting the real ground swell…….
Keep St. Louis Free is pushing a sign law in St. Louis City with our new petition:
http://keepstlouisfree.blogspot.com/2009/07/petition-against-st-louis-city-smoking_17.html
A sign law can easily add an air purification requirement to prevent the build up of smoke in areas where smoking is permitted. The new generation of air purification machines take every component of tobacco smoke from the air, and 100 percent of swine flu virus as well.
How much did the group with the same logo and people spend on the bilboards at every corner of Kirkwood Road last time around- or was it an outside organization who supported them?