Smoking Ban Takes Toll at VFW Post

To a point, they are right. Smoking kills. I am the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Simi Valley. Even though all three of our employees and a majority of our members smoke, starting in 1998 we will be throwing out the ashtrays.

I know of one person who has moved out of state because of this new law. A lot of members at our post have indicated that they will now be staying at home. Their other home, not the post home.

The little extra money our post takes in for community activities is not enough to build big outside patio areas for our members who smoke. Sure, if we save little by little we might be able to build something, but by then we might not have a VFW in Simi Valley.

With no VFW in Simi Valley, which of you will be donating your time and money to visit veterans at the Veterans Hospital who were not so lucky?

We are private. We are veterans who were sent to fight our country’s wars. Like good veterans, we will obey the law, but this time it has gone too far. Usually it’s V.A. cutbacks and benefits. Now the state of California is trying to close down our home. Our post home that does so much for the community.

And what is really the final straw to this new law is that I have contacted the Ventura County district attorney’s office and was told it has not decided how this new law will be enforced. Even the Simi Valley city attorney has stated that he will have nothing to do with this law in regard to enforcement policy.

So what am I to do when someone lights up a cigarette in the post home? Who do I call, the Smoke Busters?

I just pray that I am not the last commander of this post here in Simi Valley.

CMDR. ERIC LINDQUIST

Simi Valley