Large Scale Bullying

Smokin'

A lifelong non-smoker, I was raised by parents, both of whom were heavy smokers. One of my parents died at just under 51 of cancer, the other, of a massive stroke (with a carton of smokes in the freezer.) From cigarette burns on everything from fine furniture to evening attire and ugly cigarette stains on porcelain sinks, I loathed smoking. My parents had such impaired senses of taste and smell that I once alerted them to the odor of natural gas in a motel, where we were staying. They could not smell the gas tracer, but decided to have the gas company check for a leak. Fortunately nobody lit a cigarette, before anyone responded, or we would have been blown back over the Continental Divide.

Just out of high school I became a competitive skier and mountaineer. I was never again tempted to smoke. I am the last person on earth to sound an alarm about non-smoking zealots. In fact it would be easy for me to become one of them. In the high school where I first taught, the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Stukey, automatically disliked any teacher who smoked in front of him. I began to keep cigarettes and a lighter in my handbag. Every time I clapped eyes on Dr. Stukey, I lit a smoke, and walked around with it dangling off my lower lip.

...what was happening with anti-smoking zealotry wasn’t nannying or nudging. It was instead plain, simple bullying. ~Frank Davis, Blogger

We have entered the bullying arena in the LIHTC where I live. The building has been open for something over 6 years. I was delighted, when the announcement of the opening appeared on the bulletin board of my previous housing. It looked to be a solution to the issue of quality in affordable housing. It has certainly been a journey, I'll give it that.

A couple of months ago management asked residents to complete a questionnaire. They wanted us to "vote" to have smoking prohibited inside our apartments. Ever suspicious of this landlord's motives, the word vote at the top of the questionnaire gave me pause, as did the "give us your opinion" request. Based on experience I declined to complete the questionnaire, and wrote a note to the Site Manager. It said something to the effect, I felt her request for an opinion and vote was disingenuous. "Regardless of the outcome of any ballot initiative," I said, "It is clear to me, the landlord will do as it sees fit." I went on to refuse aid the landlord to intimidate or bully residents, regardless of the issue. It seemed ridiculous impose a rule the management would not be able to enforce. What I failed to foresee were scare tactics. I did not imagine management would shake a big stick, and/or make examples of random tenants. Predictably a few weeks passed, and the change of rules was announced. The fanfare required us to attend a mass meeting, at which Denver Health representatives lectured residents about the rather obvious vicissitudes of smoking, and made suggestions as to how to stop the addiction. It was so reminiscent of my freshman year of high school. 

The meeting also involved signing a new lease addendum, repeating all the rules of the "community" and adding the prohibitions against smoking in apartments. The wording, however, banned nicotine, as well as any form of marijuana, medical or otherwise. We are to have no candles lighted, burn no incense. (Well everybody knows incense covers marijuana smoke, or, at least all college dorm dwellers think so.) "Hmmmmm, I mused, "No nicotine, ergo, no nicotine patches, no gum or lozenges, so how the hell are people to step down from their nicotine addictions?" Enough of that. I was absolutely unprepared for what happened next, and for what is still happening. The Site Manager posted the meeting/lease signing and policy notices in each elevator foyer, from the first floor to the fifth. I live on the fourth floor, so, the morning of the posting, these caught my eye. Someone, however, had scrawled in huge letters, "IF YOU SIGN THE LEASE ADDENDUM, YOU DID NOT PASS GOVERNMENT 101." There was a letter posted, as well, signed by one of my close neighbors.

The letter of protest, which my neighbor termed a missive, rambled more than a bit. It was pretty specific, however, that he has served his country, is a disabled veteran, and should be able to live as he chooses. All true, but he forgot just one or two details. First this is a huge, paternalistic landlord. Second Colorado is a tenant-unfriendly state. A landlord can evict for good cause, or for no cause at all. My friend sort of skipped over the part, in which, he has no money to move, certainly not on the turn of a dime (no pun intended.) I know this man, and know he would not imagine a witch hunt in the making, upon reading all the notices. He wouldn't make an example of anyone, because he believes in "freedom and justice for all." As for me, let's just say I am older.

My friend's next mistake was to telephone to say, he did not intend to comply. Well, duh, nobody here intends to comply. I won't say the words, "in the fullness of time," because the response was nearly instantaneous. A notice to vacate the premises, precluding any opportunity to recant or sign a lease addendum after the fact, was slapped on his door forthwith. He had, indeed, retracted his letter and his refusal to comply. He offered to sign the addendum, and apologized -- not good enough.

The man is a disabled veteran, whose health issues, alone, should preclude eviction. Too beaten to fight, he has agreed to move. Worse, the stress landed him in the hospital, where doctors found a massive infection, cellulitis, and kept him. He has, since, had two surgeries and many infusions of antibiotics. His V.A. housing counselor made repeated telephone calls on his behalf; she never received an answer. He did get a reasonable accommodation, and now has until the end of June to vacate. He will sacrifice a great deal of his property. It is sad.

I realize this is a huge developer/landlord seeing after its own interests, all the while lowering its insurance rates. I get that. What galls me is having the Nanny Site Manager blowing sunshine up my skirt, telling me how wonderful it is we've entered a new era of healthy living. Here is a link to an opinion you may find offensive. Or, if you are like me, not so much!

https://cfrankdavis.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/large-scale-bullying/