When Larry Medina led the fight to create an ordinance that would ban smoking in El Paso public places, he was harassed and even physically threatened by smokers and by owners of restaurants and bars who thought the ban would hurt their business. Larry didn’t budge, however. “A good government has to do everything in its power to protect innocent people,” Medina contends.
And, that’s Larry Medina – Candidate for Judge of El Paso County. To Larry, it’s all about being a public servant, about serving people, about loving people, and about not expecting anything in return.
Although Medina was vilified by friend and foe alike, he stuck to his guns and pushed the ordinance through by a 7 to 1 vote. His main concern was protecting the health and well-being of children, senior citizens, non-smoking customers of bars and restaurants, and even the employees of such businesses who don’t
complain about second-hand smoke for fear of
being fired. To Larry, pushing the ban was all
about being a good citizen. On Nov. 14, 2003,
Larry said:
“I wanted to be on the right side of the issue, even if it meant not being on the winning side...I learned the government has a duty and responsibility to protect the public’s health.”
Medina never minces words. In a meeting in Athens, GA, that city’s commissioner’s court was debating the issue of passing a similar ordinance. What Larry saw and heard didn’t impress him. He said an anti-smoking ban had to have teeth, or it wouldn’t work. He called the ordinance being introduced “Mickey Mouse.”
“This is not about a little zoning decision here and there, this is about saving human lives,” he admonished the court. With Larry’s help, the Athens, GA County Commissioner’s Court did pass a strong ordinance, almost the same ordinance that Medina helped pass in El Paso.
El Paso County Judge candidate Larry Medina and Ruth Reyes Medina greet U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles, California. Congressman Becerra was the keynote speaker at the El Paso County Democratic Hall of Fame
Banquet. As the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S.
House of Representatives, Becerra is frequently mentioned as a possible future candidate for
Speaker of the House or even President. Medina points out that as many as 60,000 Americans lose their lives to second-hand smoke each year. Larry Medina has his priorities straight. He says about his candidacy: “Public safety is my Number One Priority. A business owner, whether he or she likes it or not, is morally and legally obligated to protect customers from harm.” And, that’s Larry Medina for County Judge: El Paso’s Health Candidate.
More Information: Larry Medina: The Health Candidate for El Paso County Judge
