You’re right, I don’t know for a fact that people here are smokers. Most people acknowledge it. I can only take people at their word. I haven’t seen any obvious frauds (at least I don’t think so). Personally, in my opinion, if you have to resort to that sort of tactic then your argument is weak to begin with.
I’m sorry I didn’t answer your question before. I don’t believe I have a right to ask government at any level to interfere with the legal business operations of another citizen. I do my “voting” with my business; if I don’t like it I don’t go there. In a free society we aren’t forced to patronize businesses we don’t like (well, in most cases). Now, it isn’t totally free, as restaurants, for example, have to follow certain safety and health regulations. (You can safely assume that the food you’re eating isn’t poisoned.) People do have a right to vote on the clientele or business operations of places that they otherwise pay for with their taxes; unless a restaurant is subsidized they don’t apply. (I’m sorry I never made clear of that before.)
In general I don’t believe people need government to save them. If the people want to ban something then in most cases the free market can fix that. I just pointed out a differnt situation in which I think something is necessary and people also have no control over (distracted driving).
it has been quite a while since I have encountered one of the frauds here, and in fact I will admit I was the one that turned him into the mods and got him banned....but that was several years ago. I haven’t encountered it here since, but have elsewhere.
I don’t deny that I smoke, but my argument here has nothing to do with that. My argument is that I don’t believe that I have the right to dictate the clientele of another businessperson. I have been self-employed for far too long to be comfortable with others dictating my clientele, which is why I have such problems with your support of voter referendum on smoking bans. I have never owned a bar or restaurant, but have worked in my fair share of both and I have never encountered ANYONE who was forced to patronize one.
The definition of a “public place” has been bastardized from a place “owned” by the public, i.e. the taxpayers (courts, DMV, any other government buildings) to one that is privately owned, but INVITES the public to enter.
I agree with you in regard to people needing to get away from the idea government is there to save them.
On your distracted driving premise, laws against that are already on the books, I don’t see a reason for anymore. I know I got a ticket for distracted driving, long before there were cell phones.....so the laws are already on the books. BTW, that ticket was over 20 years ago :)