L.A. Restaurant Smoking Ban

* Well, our City Council members finally did it--they banned smoking in all city restaurants. From my point of view it really doesn’t matter anyway; my husband is out of work and we can’t afford to eat out. We are not alone; there are thousands out of work in L.A. and so many companies have left Los Angeles that getting work is very hard.

Between gang violence and carjackings, who wants to go out at night anyway; you could end up dead, but our police are going to enforce a smoking ban. We have gangs of men hanging around hardware stores looking for work and homeless families begging on the streets, but our City Council has nothing more important to do than pass a law banning smoking in restaurants, a law which most people, including restaurant owners, do not want. I hope they are proud of themselves.

CAROLYN SLIGER

Reseda

* Hooray for freedom in America. The land of the free and home of the brave. Yes, smokers also should rejoice. This ban on smoking in restaurants in the Los Angeles area will set them free of their master for two hours of their miserable existence. If they brave the smoke-free environment of a Los Angeles restaurant.

I say good riddance to these weak-willed smoking addicts and let us nonsmokers eat in peace.

REY CASTRO

Torrance

* I would like to extend an invitation to the restaurateurs of Los Angeles. Consider moving to the Inland Empire. We would like to have some of the quality of restaurants in the Inland Empire that has been traditionally reserved for Los Angeles.

We do not have the totalitarian form of government that now resides in the Los Angeles City Council. Restaurant owners can freely serve their clientele, both smokers and nonsmokers.

Switch, don’t fight.

ALAN M. REECE

Redlands

* I recently attended the jazz festival at the Hollywood Bowl. It is my understanding that smoking is not permitted during the performance. That is not what occurred.

Similarly during our many visits last year we had the same experiences, except not to quite the same extent.

There is much noise being made in our city right now about the loss of revenue in restaurants by the no-smoking ban. Please be aware there is also much revenue to be lost from those of us who are severely allergic to cigarette smoke and choose not to spend the evening with a handkerchief over our faces.

ROSE M. PROUSER

Burbank

* “Tobacco Firms Sue EPA Over Secondhand Smoke Findings” (June 23) is proof positive that the old adage, “the best defense is a rigorous offense,” continues to be alive and well today!

However, I can already hear the backfiring. Long live the Environmental Protection Agency!

MARWIN H. GONSIOR

Fullerton

Smoker doing lunch in L.A.