New Yorkse anti’s onder vuur
Met veel bombarie kondigden negen New Yorkse anti-rokenorganisaties deze week aan dat ze een miljoenen kostende advertentiecampagne zouden beginnen tegen pogingen om de rookverboden in die staat te verzachten.
Het komt hun duur te staan. Lobbygroepen in de VS, die meer dan $2000 besteden aan het bewerken van politici, moeten dat melden bij een speciale commissie. En dat hebben ze verzuimd tijdens hun campagnes ter promotie van het rookverbod. Er start nu een onderzoek naar hun activiteiten. Als ze schuldig worden bevonden, kunnen ze rekenen op een boete van maximaal $25.000.
“Ze denken dat ze boven de wet staan”, zegt Audrey Silk van NYC C.L.A.S.H., zusterorganisatie van Forces.
Anti-smoking groups being investigated by the commission include Smoke Free NY.Com, the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Coalition, the National Center for Tobacco Free Kids, Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island and Power Against Tobacco.
“We have begun an investigation into many of these groups, and they should be receiving a letter from us shortly,” Lobbying Commission Executive Director David Grandeau told The Post.
“We will be asking them to explain if they have met the threshold of spending over $2,000 on lobbying activities.”
Audrey Silk, co-founder of the pro-smoking New York City group CLASH, called the investigation “wonderful.”
“My only question is, ‘What took so long?’ ” said Silk, who said her group had not registered with the commission because it spends less than $2,000 a year.
“It’s patently obvious what (the anti-smoking groups) have been doing. They feel they’re above it all,” she contended.
Many restaurants and other businesses have complained that the new law has cut substantially into their income.
As a result, several state lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer), have said they may be willing to modify the law.
