Posted on 04/02/2011 10:33:28 PM PDT by libertarian27
The American Lung Assoc. gives Santee a failing grade for tobacco control, the Mayor responds.
I am writing in response to the American Lung Association's (ALA) March 4 letter (see the letter in the media box) regarding Santee's overall grade of "F" in their annual State of Tobacco Control Report Card.
They may see it as a grade of "F" from their perspective, as our being graded a failure; I see this grade of "F" from our perspective as being the highest grade for "FREEDOM" we could earn. In Santee we believe in life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our City Council thinks long and hard before we restrict or take away one's freedom. If a smoker wants to blast their lungs out on cigarettes, that's their choice. If someone wants to light up in a park or public are, that's fine, if someone else complains, I expect the smoker to move away or put the thing out. We do allow smoking in public places, restaurants have the freedom to pick or choose having patio smoking, their FREEDOM of choice.
Youths that buy tobacco products are in violation of current law (Santee enforces tobacco and booze laws aggressively, Shoulder Tap program, etc.). We enforce the laws now and don't need a new tax on merchants to extort money from them, that's why we don't raise taxes in Santee, especially sales tax.
Multi-unit housing is private property. The property owners have the FREEDOM to set the smoking policy as they see fit. If renters don't like the policy, they move out or not rent in the first place. If it would give an owner competitive advantage, maybe they would have no-smoking units. The ALA is asking me to endorse having 75 percent of rental units as non-smoking by law. I would never pass a law either way! My bottom line in we don't need municipal government to play Nanny.
Freedom of choice means a lot to Santee. If a smoker is rude or uncaring, I expect the person taking offense, to communicate with the rude one, and the rude one to once again move on or put it out. You may have all the laws in the world; ultimately it boils down to human interaction.
It would be very easy for me as mayor to be politically correct (most are) at worse or ignore ALA at best- not my style though. The above reasons are why I take great pride in our "F" for FREEDOM score. I have the FREEDOM to disagree with them. Unless I am voted out of office, or the majority of the Santee City Council votes to take away another dwindling FREEDOM by cracking down on smokers, I will always stand tall for less government intrusion in our lives.
Respectfully submitted,
Randy Voepel
Mayor, The Freedom loving City of Santee
See the ALS letter this is in response to in the media box.
Don’t worry about Drango. He is the biggest smoke nazi on FR. F him.
What happen ohioman? Get out of your NAMBLA meeting early and decide use my name without pinging me? I’m proud be be called a nazi by those who pimp death.
SheLion had a great animated gif about the ALA. American Liars Association. She had sharp claws, and sometimes a sharper tongue, but she sure came up with some great stuff. I sure miss her. Same with Max McGarrity. Contrary to the wishes of many of the nanny state lovers around here, neither passed from lung cancer or anything else "smoking" related.
NAMBLA meeting? A FREEPER at a NAMBLA MEETING??? What is that, Drango, some kind of projection?!?
I wasn’t aware that siding with freedom and not nanny-state leftism equates one with NAMBLA and pimping death. I’m an ex-smoker myself but that’s my decision and not the Government’s. Take your whining elsewhere.
Good call my friend. That dude would make smoking illegal if he could.
Nazis were ahead of their time in some areas.
>It never ceases to amaze me..
Think you’d have learnt by now ;>
>>restaurants have the freedom to pick or choose having patio smoking
Here in MA, most towns have outlawed puffin’ on the patio, in addition to the indoor ban.
And now, the MassHospAss says they will test all employees for nicotine, even if said individual abstains at works and indulges off site on his own alleged time.
“Smokers are not a protected class” said the head of the MassCommagaintDiscrimination when asked about this new rule.
Land of the WHAT?? you were saying.
Land of the FEE - Home of the SHAMED
You need to really kick the shame aspect up a notch when inflicting fees and regulations on the populous....
smoking, seatbelts, helmets, transfats, sugar....
applied guilt, fear and shame does wonders for the pocketbooks of our overloards.
Ingsoc: Department of Life, Department of Liberty, Department of Happiness ....
(Guilt, Fear and the pursuit of Shame)
Hear, hear! Go get ‘em your honor.
Actually, I’m with the WOsD’ers on this one. The real “fiddling with the masses” came with the drug war. Tobacco is just the next stepping stone to total control.
“Not much freedom in being a slave to cigarettes.”
Have fun when the Homosexual activists use the tools you sharpened for leftist activists groups against you. Not much freedom in being a slave to Christianity......Better not allow homeschooling (indoctrination).
Yada yada....and yes it is already happening in supposed free nations.
However, I don’t expect you to get the connection that freedom lost for some is freedom lost for all.
**It never ceases to amaze me..
Think you’d have learnt by now ;**
Never ceases to amaze, but the real problem is ... it does not Surprise me!
Derangeo mentions NAMBLA but fails to point out the corollary that whereas NAMBLA is afforded the right of assembly, smokers are not.
Now its not just bans but total eradication of smoking with smokers relegated to 4thClass citizens, derided, discriminated against and taxed excessively.
But still the NinnyNannyNazis don’t stop; Drango, Bloomputz, millions of others.
ProChoice but not for tabak,
Tolerance but not for smokers,
Transgendered rights but no smokers please.
All this for a population in the USA that may still be at something around 40-50 million overtaxed individuals.
INSHALLAH. Our tobacco policies are more sharia compliant than those of the Gulf Sheikdoms!
Folks like Drango will tell you that you are wrong because smokers are free to assemble just like NAMBLA, they are just not free to smoke, just like members of NAMBLA are not free to engage in whatever they engage in because it is illegal to do so.
IOW, Drango equates smokers with members of NAMBLA. Something that is so disgusting it is beyond words.
What the Drangos of the world forget is that which they wish the government to forbid proves they acknowledge the government can mandate something someone else wishes.
Drango supports gay marriage, abortion, gun control, Obamacare, and every other Big Brother government proposal that comes down the pike.
Not that I like Drango very much, but do you have links or some other proof supporting your contention?
Nope.
My contention is based upon the fact Drango supports government control of the private property of others when it suits his/her preferences.
Drano is a Picker & Chooser
He picks him - and chooses you.......
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