Bill Linehan’s twin sons are asthmatics and he smoked for 15 years before quitting 30 years ago.
And even though the city councilor worked for Boston’s Parks Department for 20 years, Linehan doesn’t support a proposal by two of his colleagues to ban smoking in Boston’s public parks and beaches.
“It gets to a certain point where government is trying to intrude on the private life of citizens,” Linehan said during yesterday’s City Council meeting. “This sort of encroachment on someone’s civil liberties is going a bit too far. If you smoke and smoke as an adult you have a right to smoke.”
His colleagues, Sal LaMattina and Felix G. Arroyo called for a hearing on the matter yesterday.
“I heard someone say ‘If someone lights up next to you, move,’” said Arroyo, who coaches youth baseball, “but if you are my third baseman you can’t move from third base. I’ve seen people light up next to my third baseman.”
A hearing hasn’t been scheduled, but the majority of the council supports the plan. Mayor Thomas Menino’s stance is unclear.
New York last week banned smoking in parks, beaches and Times Square.
