County ban on hiring smokers draws notice (BARF Alert!)

The Desert Sun ^ | 1-7-4 | Darrell Smith

[SheLion]

Riverside County will no longer hire prospective sheriff

[SheLion]

This is just WRONG! Tobacco and cigarettes are LEGAL! What will they do next? Not hire or fire anyone who enjoys an alcohol beverage off hours??????

The BIG LIE That Smoking is an Economic Burden To Society

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[SheLion]

[Terridan]

What about homosexuals participating in unhealthy and risky behaviors??? I do believe this is costing the insurance companies a helluva lot more for aids related illness that lung cancer ever would... where is the damned ACLU???

[SheLion]

What about homosexuals participating in unhealthy and risky behaviors??? I do believe this is costing the insurance companies a helluva lot more for aids related illness that lung cancer ever would... where is the damned ACLU???

Oh YES! But by Gawd, you better not SMOKE! heh!

Sickening, isn't it? It's just about control, IMHO!

[templar]

This is just WRONG!

Can't agree. If someone is paying your way (health care) they have the right to look out for their own interests by controlling your health habits. Same would go for obesity or ohter risky habits.

OTOH, if smokers are willing to pay their own way they shouldn't be cut out. Maybe they could just charge the smokers for the additional costs they cause as a compromise?

[SheLion]

Can't agree. If someone is paying your way (health care) they have the right to look out for their own interests by controlling your health habits. Same would go for obesity or ohter risky habits.

Smokers pay MORE then their fair share through their taxes alone!

The BIG LIE That Smoking is an Economic Burden To Society

Most of us have our OWN insurance. I know if "I" get sick from smoking or anything else, NO one has to pay MY way! I will pay my OWN way!

[waterstraat]

insurance costs have grown too steep to risk hiring smokers.

If the goal is to lower medical insurance costs, the county needs to require genetic testing and family medical history of any and ALL!! potential employees. Anyone with a family history of breast cancer, alcoholism, heart attacks, obesity, arthritis, MS, diabeties, etc, should be excluded.

NOt hiring smokers to become deputies, is a very very small piece of the pie, and relatively inconsequential in the larger scheme of what maladies we can now screen for when interviewing any potential employee candidate.

To really improve medical costs, current employees should also be screened, and if any current employee is found to have a family medical problem history, if he smokes, if he is over weight, then fire them.

Why should healthy people with no defective genes be made to pay higher medical costs by keeping fattees or diabetics on the payroll?

By eliminating all government employees who are more likely to have medical problems, the taxpayers would save a bunch on health care costs.

[jimtorr]

If someone is paying your way (health care) they have the right to look out for their own interests by controlling your health habits.

No. They do not.

This is the reasoning that "they" will use to to jail you for being a "conservative". A national mental health professionals organization has already called conservatism a disease.

[SheLion]

Like this?

This guy works at the local hospital as a physical therapist!

Do you think THIS IS HEALTHY????

Also, from the Rand Report:

OBESITY LINKED TO HIGHER RATES OF CHRONIC ILLNESS AND WORSE PHYSICAL
QUALITY OF LIFE THAN SMOKING, DRINKING OR POVERTY
THREE OF FIVE ADULT AMERICANS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE

[boop]

Exactly HOW do smokers cause workman's comp costs? I understand how someone who is high on crank could, but since when do smokers cause accidents? Also, you are more "healthy" to be a thin smoker than a fat non-smoker.

[waterstraat]

In my opinion, obesity is much worse than smoking. There is strain on lots of organs(heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, etc) when someone is overweight. You will find many more 80 year old smokers, than you will find obese 80 year olds. Not only that, but obese people are not known to be agile, or full of energy.

For my money, I would hire a thin smoker any day instead of an obese person for nearly any job.

If the county thinks its ok to hire and fire people based on potential health problems, then they should not do it in a half hearted way and discriminate only against smokers, but they should do full genetic testing, and require all current government employees to provide complete medical histories of themselves and all family members - those with higher probabilities to have future health risks, should be fired.

I am not saying that I agree with the concept, but the county is saying that they agree with it. I just say if you are going to do it, then do it all the way, dont just look at smokers and ignore diabetics, people whos parents died young, and fatties, etc.

[SheLion]

Also, you are more "healthy" to be a thin smoker than a fat non-smoker.

Your so right!

And how about THIS fat azz:

But I don't know if they smoke or not, but my Gawd......the FAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I bet Fat Ted enjoys those STOGIES behind closed doors, though. heh!)

[metesky]

Nearly 60 percent of the $34.9 million per year Riverside County spends in workers’ compensation claims is spent on the county’s public safety employees, said Ron Komers, the county’s director of human resources.

With the county’s workers’ comp costs expected to rise to $39.9 million in 2007-08, Komers said the time has come to act and makes no apologies for the hiring ban. He asserts research shows smokers have higher accident rates and take more sick leave than nonsmokers. Both, he said, come out of county coffers.

I don't see any thing that specifically says that Riverside County's smoking employees take more sick leave, which, if true, should be easy enought to prove. The part about smokers having more accidents is just plain nonsense, IMO.

[LisaMalia]

Yes, it is wrong, and I don't see how they can get away with it.

[SheLion]

I don't see any thing that specifically says that Riverside County's smoking employees take more sick leave, which, if true, should be easy enought to prove. The part about smokers having more accidents is just plain nonsense, IMO.

That's RIGHT, metesky. It's like "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

It's just about control. YOU know and "I" know it.

[templar]

I will pay my OWN way!

IF that were the case here, I don't think this would be an issue. I believe the county is paying the premiums in this case.

[SheLion]

IF that were the case here, I don't think this would be an issue. I believe the county is paying the premiums in this case.

Well, I bet there is no documentation of any of them being off sick because they smoke in order to collect worker's comp. Most smokers do not get sick until they are in their retirement years, so I am really skeptical about all of this.

[BriarBey]

UNREAL!!! Talk about discrimination and profiling!!

[SheLion]

UNREAL!!! Talk about discrimination and profiling!!

You got it! What will they do next? Ban after duty drinking???? This is all about control. You and I both know this!

The Health Coalition must have greased the Sheriff's psalms or SOMETHING is going on under the table for this to happen. What a crock!