“A person could get whiplash watching Assemblyman Jim Whelan’s abrupt changes of position on banning smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos,” according to Atlantic County Republican Chairman Keith A. Davis.

“Jim Whelan has been on every conceivable side of this issue and has utterly failed to accomplish anything to resolve it,” Davis said. “He’s gone from support for a total ban on smoking, to support for a partial ban, back to support for a complete ban, back once more to a partial ban, and yesterday he bounced back to supporting a full prohibition.”

“The evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable that second hand smoke is dangerous to others,” Davis said. “The argument has been settled convincingly by health experts and by a mountain of medical evidence. There’s nothing left to debate.”

The GOP leader said Whelan pledged to support a total smoking ban when he entered the Assembly in January of 2006.

“He boasted that the ban would be enacted, but less than six months later changed and introduced legislation to permit smoking in specific areas of the casino floor,” he said. “But, a month after that he withdrew support for his own bill and said a total ban would be best. A few months later, he switched yet again and supported the partial ban ordinance enacted by the Atlantic City Council. Then, yesterday in a spat with casino owner Donald Trump who wants the partial ban lifted, Whelan threatened to push once more for a total prohibition.”

“Why can’t he take a position and stick to it?” Davis asked. “The health of casino workers is at risk each and every day smoking is permitted, but Whiplash Whelan continues to fiddle while the tobacco burns.”

The chairman pointed out that Democrat Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, the Camden County leader who directed millions of dollars into Whelan’s 2005 campaign, opposed legislative action to impose a total ban on smoking in the casinos.

“Clearly, in Whelan’s view, Roberts’ money talks much louder than casino employees’ health,” he said.

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