Smoking ban myth

**joshua** · 08-28-2005, 12:19 AM

I have seen this pop up a few times on this forum and I wanted to point something out. It is not "the democrats" which are going to take away smoking rights. This is coming from both parties.

Just to show you the facts, here are some examples.

Detroit smoking ban bill with both democratic and republican sponsors http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/05...met-156736.htm
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...WS04/504190339

Citywide smoking ban in new york city, proposed by Bloomberg (a republican) http://www.kiiss.org/rest/articles/article_newyork.html

The state-wide ban in new york was started by governer Pataki, a republican http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/...moking.ban.ap/
If you read that article you will also see a quote at the bottom from a democrat condemning the law.

Pennsylvania "State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, a Republican from Montgomery County, has repeatedly sponsored legislation that would have banned smoking in all public places in Pennsylvania, including restaurants and bars." http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/s_112050.html

Indianapolis bi-partisan smoking ban http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...WS02/505240460

Georgia ban patterned after Florida ban introduced by a republican http://www.tobacco.org/news/192297.html

So if anyone for a moment thinks that smoking bans are some left wing agenda, think again. It can come from anywhere.

**CoventryCat86** · 08-28-2005, 03:22 AM

Why didn't you mention the proposed legislation in YOUR OWN STATE of New Jersey that was proposed by two different State Assembly people that would ban smoking while driving in your car.

Oh that's right, it was proposed by two Democrats so you didn't mention it because you're only trying to put your Communist twist on your post.

Try as you will but no one will believe you. The anti-smoking groups are ALL LEFT WING, DO GOODERS and it's a leftist, nanny state mentality that is pushing this and that would be the Democrats for the most part, not the Republicans. Yes, there are rare cases where a lone Republican here or there is pushing some anti-smoking crap but it's rare and those cases are few and far between. Unfortunately many people favor anti-smoking legislation, as it's "PC" these days.

So Joshua, you can cut the bullshit anytime now........

**jaewing** · 08-28-2005, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

Why didn't you mention the proposed legislation in YOUR OWN STATE of New Jersey that was proposed by two different State Assembly people that would ban smoking while driving in your car.

Oh that's right, it was proposed by two Democrats so you didn't mention it because you're only trying to put your Communist twist on your post.

Try as you will but no one will believe you. The anti-smoking groups are ALL LEFT WING, DO GOODERS and it's a leftist, nanny state mentality that is pushing this and that would be the Democrats for the most part, not the Republicans. Yes, there are rare cases where a lone Republican here or there is pushing some anti-smoking crap but it's rare and those cases are few and far between. Unfortunately many people favor anti-smoking legislation, as it's "PC" these days.

So Joshua, you can cut the bullshit anytime now........

Man CCat . . . after I read his post I was reeady to add my 2 cents and jump in head first. Seems you have said all that there is to say to Joshua. As usual CCat has got it all right . . . no pun intended.

So Joshua . . . after you read my post go back up and read CCat's AGAIN then STFU!

**nhcigarfan** · 08-28-2005, 10:51 AM

Live free or die.

**mithril** · 08-28-2005, 01:33 PM

not trying to stir the pot, but for the republicans who introduced the bill, they were in democratic states. which i see as an attempt to get the democratic voters to vote for them in the next election. the only state that you mentioned that is republican is georgia.

as seen by the 2004 electoral map. ok, that's all i had to say.

take my opinion as you like. i don't get to deep into politics. i go about as far as my signiture from the simpsons. long live Kang! lol.

**BigMacFU** · 08-28-2005, 02:09 PM

Nice play by Mithril, the ball is in Josh's court now. CCat, nice grammer

**ggiese** · 08-28-2005, 11:58 PM

Hey, Josh... Did you ever get the chat room set up over at the Island? Just wonderin'...

**CoventryCat86** · 08-29-2005, 12:03 AM

See Josh, I told you no one would believe your horsehit.

As a wise man once said:

Ya might want to leave the deeper thought to those of us who are properly equiped. Ya can't fight a fire with a pool cue.

**

**SamClemmons

**SuperChuck** · 08-29-2005, 01:54 AM

The answer is 90% of politics is created in the minds of the people. I'd much rather discuss cigars. :)

Fact is, most of the areas with smoking bans were headed in that direction, politicians sensed an opportunity and lept on it. That's what politicians do.

Amanda · 09-09-2005, 07:40 PM

I guess I missed this topic when it was hot, but like to make some amendments to the idea that smoking bans occur only in Democratic states and/or cities. The state of Georgia recently passed a statewide ban, although I don't believe it applies to bars, at least not yet. Georgia is about as bright red of a state as there is.

As for smoking bans at the community level, it seems to hit college towns, Democrat or Republican, where city fathers increasingly believe 19-22 year-olds should be treated like 13-15 year-olds rather than adults. The expected liberal college towns of Madison, Wisconsin and Boulder, Colorado come to mind as localities that have passed bans in the last couple of years. However, the Republican-leaning college towns of Lincoln, Nebraska; Fayetteville, Arkansas; and even Lexington, Kentucky, in the heart of tobacco country, have passed smoking bans (that include bars) in the last 18 months. I expect the whole country is trending towards this unsettling assault on property rights, but at the forefront will continue to be college towns, even arch-conservatives towns like Lubbock, Texas; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Lafayette, Louisiana, all of which I fully believe will be smoke-free in two years or less. I'm surprised some freedom-hating do-gooders in Las Vegas haven't pushed for smoking bans in that city.

Expect Republican politicians to increasingly embrace smoking ban after smoking ban (along with regressive tobacco excise taxes) because majorities of both parties' constituency foolishly support these bans. Also keep in mind that the Republican Party will always take its marching orders from the caviar class who live in gated communities, have swimming pools in their backyards, receive the vast majority of GOP-engineered tax cuts (which are then recycled back into party coffers through campaign contributions), and don't like to breathe second-hand smoke on the two Saturday nights per year that they venture into a bar. While the Republican Party has made tremendous inroads in garnering support from $9 an hour mill workers who think the Democrats are gonna steal their shotguns, this demographic's desire to smoke a cigarette at the local honkytonk on Friday night will easily lose out to the Chamber of Commerce board member's perceived entitlement to smoke-free air on demand. Those who believe otherwise are likely to be in for a rude awakening as they witness conservative Republican after conservative Republican rubber-stamp California-style smoking bans in every nook and cranny of red America in the years to come.