Minneapolis Metblogs » Robert Moffitt

Notary Public Embarrassment

Robert Moffitt — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:55:55 +0000

As someone personally involved the local “Tobacco Wars” (I’m communications director for the American Lung Association in Minnesota), I am watching with some interest the unfolding drama in neighboring South Dakota that has had as many twists and turns as the Franken-Coleman race. In February, the SD Legislature passed a statewide smoking ban, and Gov. Rounds signed it. The law was supposed to take effect at July 1, 2009. But wait! A group oppossed to the ban begin getting signatures to delay the law and put it on the 2010 ballot as a public referendum. If they could get 16,776 valid signatures on a petition by June 29, the question would go to the voters next year. They submitted more than 25,000 names, but Secretary of State Chris Nelson ruled many of the signatures invaild, and now the opponents are 221 signatures short. How did this happen? Blame the notary public — in fact, no fewer than 29 different notary publics made errors on the petitions. The case is now going to court.

You Can See A Camel At the MN Zoo, But You Can’t Smoke One

Robert Moffitt — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:10:41 +0000

The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reports that effective this Saturday, June 20, the grounds of the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley will be 100% smokefree. Smoking will still be permitted at the zoo’s parking lot. The subject got me thinking of a famous anti-smoking ad campaign the Minnesota Department of Health launched in 1989. Remember the smoking animals?

You Have To Emit, Change Is Coming To ‘Minnesota Motors’

Robert Moffitt — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:30:50 +0000

A lot of news about vehicles and the emissions they put into our air has been rolling out lately. Here’s a summary, and what it means to Minnesota. This week the White House announced it’s plan for fast-tracking higher vehicle fuel efficiency standards and, for the first time, introduce a national program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The announcement has (for the moment) the support of most major automakers and environmental groups. More Minnestoa dealers may be closing soon, a move that will have ripple effects across the state. A group of partners (including the American Lung Association in Minnesota) is looking to bring electric vehicles to the Twin Cities. The airport has already got one. Don Shelby at WCCO-TV gets all excited about the idea, and also gets fired up about a student biodiesel project.

Bottom line: things are changing fast — fewer dealerships are a certainty, new types of vehicles (and fuels) are coming, and for once, most of the major players are moving in the same direction.

Biofuels: Boom or Bust?

Robert Moffitt — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:32:48 +0000

It all depends on who you ask, it seems. Yesterday’s announcement from the EPA on how greenhouse gas targets will be set for biofuels had some saying it was bad for ethanol, some saying it was good, and still others spliting the difference. The bottom line is that the EPA says that future ethanol producers will need to make some changes to reach the Fed’s target of 20% reduction (compared to gasoline) in greenhouse gas emissions, they currently are at 16%, which seems like a reachable goal. Minnesota’s ethanol industry has the capacity to produce more than a billion gallons of fuel annually, it leads the nation in E85 stations (360+) and on May 1 became the first state to require all diesel fuel contain a five percent blend of biodiesel.

Attempt to weaken Minnesota smoking ban fails

Robert Moffitt — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:06:47 +0000

More strange from the Iron Range: at a time when the state is facing a huge budget gap, the House, Senate and Governor’s opposing proposals threaten another end-of-session train wreak and we have Swine Flu to worry about, Rep. Tom Rukavina offers an amendment to weaken the state’s smoking ban. Rukavina’s “smoking room” amendment failed, as did another amendment to allow “smoking shacks.”

Local Bartender Goes For World Record Tonight!

Robert Moffitt — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:29:45 +0000

More than 400 cocktails mixed in one hour? That’s what one Minneapolis bartender will try for tonight, which would set a new world record. The Star Trib has the details.

If You Snus You Lose

Robert Moffitt — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:16:44 +0000

Now that the residents of Saint Paul will soon be free of the threat of candy cigarettes, the news turns to snus, the most odious import from Sweeden since gummy fish. These nasty little packets of powdered, flavored tobacco have been banned in much of Europe since 1989. They are relatively new here, and their pushers are pushing them hard in the US. Their target market? Looks like they are going after the youngsters. Again.

Taps For The American Legion & VFW?

Robert Moffitt — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:50:34 +0000

The Mankato Free Press offers this storyabout declining membership at the Waseca VFW Post #1642. It’s not an uncommon story, either here in Minnesota or elsewhere across the nation. Younger veterans are just are not interested in these organizations, and their membership is aging and declining. Also, the male-dominated organizations have been slow to make an appeal to female members, even as about 20% of those now serving in the military are women. Of course, some groups like the Waseca Post blame smoking bans for their woes, but the National Commandant of the VFW sees it differently. As a veteran (and former American Legion member), I think this is too bad. There are a lot of veterans, both young and old, who could use some help and a common voice.

I suggest the two organizations merge together as a single group that welcomes all veterans, and then make a serious outreach to the veterans of Vietnam, the Gulf Wars and Afganistan, as well as to peacetime warriors like myself. What do you think?

Who Wants To Be A Movie Star This Sunday?

Robert Moffitt — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:48:58 +0000

No joke! This is real chance for someone in the Twin Cities to be part of a very cool feature film being shot in Minneapolis on Sunday.

Christina Córdova and Juan Antonio del Rosario, the filmaking duo behind “Chasing Windmills,” are making a new film called “The System.”

I had a small role in the film which (with much regret) I now have to give up. If you have a gray suit and a white shirt (Christina will provide a vest and tie), and are free this Sunday at 4 p.m. and want to be part of something cool, please contact Christina. The role is a very small one, and is open to adults of any age, gender, ethnicity.

A ban on candy (cigarettes) is dandy, but prohibition?

Robert Moffitt — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:53:32 +0000

The Saint Paul Pioneer Press has a front page story on what ordinarily would be a line or two inside the local/metro section: a proposal by a group of teens to ban the sale of candy cigarettes in St. Paul. Backed by 100 young supporters squeezed into the benches in the City Hall chambers, the kids seemed to win a surprising easy and uncontested victory. Then council member Dan Bolstrom dropped his bomb: “Why not go all the way, and ban all tobacco sales in the city?”

Bostrum, who voted against the current Saint Paul ordinance on indoor smoking three timesand offered an amendment to weaken the city’s rules on indoor smoking, wasn’t being serious. He knows that anti-smoking groups (full disclosure, I work for the American Lung Association of Minnesota) are not looking to lawmakers to pass a total prohibition on tobacco, as one of our allies noted in the article, “We had prohibition (of alcohol) and it didn’t work.” Bostrom’s intent was to raise doubts on the “real agenda” these anti-tobacco groups have. Is it money? (rising taxes on tobacco was another big story this week) Power? Social Engineering? Huh?

Freud famously said, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Likewise, sometimes people just don’t want to see more and more people to get sick and die of smoking-related illnesses. You will never get rich being an anti-smoking advocate, but you might just get a little satisfaction with the thought that you helped some people quit (or not start), and made their lives a little better.