Posted on 05/17/2007 4:47:06 PM PDT by Wheee The People
Editorial: Smoking ban proves Legislature can get things done 5/17/2007 8:56:33 AM ...
The hope comes in the form of the "Freedom to Breathe Act," which Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed on Wednesday.
The act, which will take effect on Oct. 1, bans smoking in virtually all bars and restaurants in the state. A statewide smoking ban was proposed in previous legislative sessions, but the bills died amid the partisan rancor that has beset the Legislature through the 2000s.
This year, however, nearly equal numbers of Republican and DFL lawmakers joined together to pass the statewide smoking ban by comfortable margins in both the Senate and the House.
We stated in a previous editorial that the smoking ban issue is one that is best addressed at the statewide level. Many cities and counties, including Olmsted, have enacted their own smoking bans over the last decade. But those local ordinances create an unequal playing field for bar and restaurant owners who fear they'll lose business to nearby communities. The statewide bill goes a long way toward leveling the playing field.
We are empathetic to business owners who still believe they'll lose customers as a result of the statewide ban. However, the Oct. 1 implementation date, which was moved back from the bill's original Aug. 1 compliance deadline, should give business owners and their patrons time to plan ahead. Who knows? Maybe some customers will use the next four and a half months to complete smoking cessation programs, or cut back on their tobacco use.
We also empathize with those who argue that the government has no business telling restaurant and tavern proprietors what to do.
After all, no one is forcing individuals to frequent bars or restaurants that permit smoking, and there are plenty of smoke-free dining and entertainment options out there.
The law isn't perfect. There are still concerns that bars and restaurants near Indian gaming casinos, which are exempt from the new law because they're under federal jurisdiction, might be at a competitive disadvantage.
The same holds true for establishments in border communities such as Moorhead.
Only the enactment of a national smoking ban would completely level the playing field. But that's not likely to happen anytime soon. In the meantime, a Minnesota ban makes good sense in a state that has for decades been a leader in the protection of public health.
Hi, there, Eric! Wheee is actually voting for Fred Thompson, who smokes cigars! Oh, dear!
I think it’s a 16 year old girl,bet she calls her friend.
Dr. Feel can’t even take a vacation. I just got back from DisneyWorld with the family. The sick mental patients like The Wheenie need around the clock medical care. You can’t leave them alone for a second around sharp objects. It’s tiring for me frankly.
Dr. Feel can’t even take a vacation. I just got back from DisneyWorld with the family. The sick mental patients like The Wheenie need around the clock medical care. You can’t leave them alone for a second around sharp objects. It’s tiring for me frankly.
rofl.
Hope you enjoyed your vacation. :-) My husband and I had wonderful time in Vegas. My husband was actually able to have a cigar indoors there like an adult. Imagine that. Oh, yeah, cigars... Did I mention that Wheee is voting for Fred Thompson who smokes cigars!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/05/16/disney.smoking.ap/
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) -- Smoking will be banned as of June 1 at all 22 Disney World hotels and time-share resorts in Florida.
The ban permits smoking at designated outdoor areas. The transition to become smoke-free will allow Disney to better accommodate the increasing number of guests requesting nonsmoking hotel rooms, ....
The ban follows a 2000 measure that restricted smoking throughout Disney's theme and water parks, limiting smoking to designated areas, DiPietre said.
Please answer the questionaire below, so I know how best to treat you. And please have your insurance card ready for the wallet biopsy. This is a Capitalist country and I don't work for free.
I discriminate against smokers because:
A. The smell of smoke is icky and yucky, it makes my hair and clothes stink and I hate walking into a bar/restaurant where people are smoking. So rather than take advantage of the free market and go somewhere that is voluntarily smoke free, I would rather use the power of the state to impose my personal preference on my fellow citizens.
B. My beloved ___________ (choose one: husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, maid, dog, cat, goldfish, gay lover) died from _________(choose one: cancer, heart disease, emphysema, car crash, train wreck, terrorist attack, sting ray) because of their smoking.
C. I smoked for _____ (years) and now I am ________ (choose one: missing it, sick, dead, born again, enlightened, ashamed of myself, if I can't do it, nobody can) and want to share my experience with others.
D. The Big Tobacco companies are lying scumbags and must pay! (you're not coming down off the mountain with the tablets there)
E. I represent Big Pharmaceutical interests that benefit from the anti-smoking movement because it increases the sales of our Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products.
F. I am a deeply caring individual in the mold of Mother Theresa and I am speaking out due to my benevolent, philanthropic, altruistic concern about the health of my fellow man.
G. I am a research scientist and grant junky, and if I don't tow the party line my grant money will disappear.
H. I'm just a garden variety Fascist and Totalitarian and get a ______ (choose one: cheap thrill, natural high, erection, orgasm) by imposing my will on other people.
I. I am a retard who believes in bogus studies, junk science, the Easter Bunny and the Toothfairy. I fear that because I walked into a bar on Spring Break in 1987, and was exposed to Second Hand Smoke I now suffer from ______(choose one: AIDS, Herpes, Athletes Foot, Jock Itch, male pattern baldness, or genital warts)
J. I am a disgruntled, prissy and angry employee of a ______(choose one: bar, restaurant, club, casino) who can't leave the job because I am a _______(choose one: slave, indentured servant, sweatshop laborer, illegal immigrant) and had no idea there was smoking going on in the place before I took the job.
K. An elected public serpent, serving as a _____ (choose one: State Assemblywoman, Senator, Freeholder, city councilman, mayor) and I have failed miserably in my job and trying to tackle really tough problems like _____ (choose one: gang violence, income taxes, property taxes, crime, corruption), so I will support a smoking ban based on the talking points and literature that "M" has given me and claim that I have actually accomplished something to help my constituents.
L. A Socialist liberal Democrat who is desperate for Universal Healthcare so the proletariet will continue to keep me in power. But if I don't do something about the "demand side" health care costs caused by such global health menaces as _________ (choose one: Marlboro, Merit, Kool, Big Macs, Whoppers, Chicken McNuggets, Budweiser, Coors, Jack Daniels) my health care entitlement program will go ________ (choose your adjective: broke, belly up, bankrupt, insolvent).
M. A professional anti-tobacco activist who makes $450,000 per year. MY GOAL IS TO REDUCE SMOKING RATES FROM 25% TO BELOW 10%. KICKING THEM OUT OF THEIR FAVORITE BAR AND RESTAURANT IS JUST A SMALL STEP TO COERCE THEM TO QUIT. I DON'T EVEN BELIEVE THE SHS NONSENSE MYSELF! Don't you dare try to ban cigarettes, if you do I will have to go back to my previous job ______(choose one: prostitute, drug dealer, pimp, state assemblyman, mayor) where I won't make nearly as much money and the bank will foreclose on my seaside villa and repo my _______(choose one: Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Hummer, Infiniti, Acura,Jaguar, Volvo, Bentley). I take advantage of the prejudices of categories A-L above to accomplish my goal.
N. I don't fit any of the above categories, I just like to argue with people.
And I really want to know why Wheee is voting for Fred Thompson who smokes cigars! :-)
Alright, sit on the couch and answer the question. Why do you care if:
A guy/gal you've never met
In a State you've never been to
In a city you've never heard of
In a bar/restaurant that you wouldn't even go into
On property you don't own...
Smokes a cigarette???
So what state do you think is next?...I was surprised by Maryland. My guess is Wisconsin. Do you have any plans to change your message or tactics? Based upon your approach so far, it seems the momentum to ban smoking is becoming a steamroller.
I bet you have the “I mind your business because I care” bumper sticker. On your minivan. That you drive down the road, in the left lane, going 30, talking on your cellphone, while completely ignoring the 5 mile backup of traffic you have created behind you. Because, after all, you care..
We’d all love to know. I like Fred, but frankly it’s hard to vote for anyone that Wheenie is a fan of. A mind like Wheezers needs to be explored for Science Fiction.
The fascist mind is a terrible thing...it must be stopped in our lifetime before it kills somebody.
I had breakfast with Newt Gingrich yesterday. Believe it?
I will answer your question honestly and I can only hope you will do the same and answer my question honestly:
Q: So what state do you think is next?...I was surprised by Maryland. My guess is Wisconsin.
A: Pennsylvania next month. Wisconsin will take until the summer.
Now please answer my question:
Q: Why do you care if...
A guy/gal you’ve never met
In a State you’ve never been to
In a city you’ve never heard of
In a bar/restaurant that you wouldn’t even go into
On property you don’t own...
Smokes a cigarette???
At this point in time, I like Mitt Romney.
Honestly? The same reason I care about other cultural issues. I care about students graduating from high school who can’t read their diplomas. I care about the push for homosexual marriages. I care about welfare queens sucking on the teat of the state. Etc, Etc. I don’t believe the state should allow smoking in public anymore than I believe they should allow homosexuals to marry. And it’s clear others share my views.
Eric, I told you, Wheee has the maturity and compassion of a child. He hasn’t had the common courtesy so far to answer any of my adult and legitimate questitons, so what makes you think he’ll answer yours?
I’m a conservative christian republican and a (oh my God!) smoker. I didn’t vote for the smoking ban here in CA. What this ban does is discriminate against a minority. One day it will be your toes that are being stepped on, and then you’ll feel what it’s like to be persecuted. Why don’t they put a ban on drinking alcohol? There might not be any second-hand smoke involved in it, but it kills alot more people than smoking does. I know, you’re not a smoker, right? But I did just make a liar out of you saying conservatives vote for smoking bans. I don’t need the government to tell me how to live.
Wheee, honestly, here’s some simple but true advice. Lead by example and others will follow. It’s enough for myself keeping me in line. Love and trust your fellow citizens and realize that you can’t change the world. There’s a whole lot of good in the world/society than there is bad. :-)
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