Cigar-loving Arnie plans a 'smoking plaza' at state capitol

Telegraph ^ | 2/17/2004 | Oliver Poole

[PeteFromMontana]

Cigar-loving Arnie plans a 'smoking plaza' at state capitol By Oliver Poole in Los Angeles (Filed: 17/02/2004)

Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's cigar-smoking governor, is to tear a roof off the state capitol so that smokers can enjoy their vice inside the legislature.

The Austrian-born actor, elected governor last November, is facing protests for deciding to turn a courtyard in the building into a "smoking plaza". It will include a drinking area. Part of the roof will be removed to get round a California law banning smoking in offices, bars and restaurants.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan has angered the anti-smoking lobby

The governor's spokesman, Terri Carbaugh, said he planned to be among those using the area. "It's a more positive environment where they can all be on an equal footing, as opposed to everyone going into the governor's office where he's behind his desk."

Mr Schwarzenegger is rarely seen in public without a cigar and has twice appeared on the cover of Cigar Aficionado magazine.

He insists that the power of a cigar has already paid political dividends. It was reported that the sharing of a couple of the governor's favourite smokes helped to persuade Democratic legislative leaders to put up his $15 billion (£8 billion) bond to bail out the state's budget on the March primary ballot. But his plan has angered the powerful anti-smoking lobby.

Smoking was banned in all restaurants in California in 1995 and the ban was extended to bars three years later. At the end of last year the prohibition was extended to anywhere 20 feet from a public building's entrance.

Dozens of protesters gathered at the state capitol building in Sacramento at the weekend to protest against Mr Schwarzenegger's plaza plans. The event featured a memorial of photographs of prominent dead smokers including actors and politicians.

Other stars have been the targets of anti-smoking campaigners, notably Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, both smokers who regularly light up in films and who were the recipients of a nationwide letter-writing campaign.

[brownsfan]

What ever happened to liberal "tolerance" and "choice"?! That stuff only exists if it serves their purpose. Darn hypocrites!
I don't smoke often, an occassional cigar, and that's not often. But I support giving people the right, and the choice to smoke!
Kick their arses Ahhnuld!

[Pompah]

"hand a guy a cigar and you've got about an hour of his time" Yeah,especially if you hand him GOOD one. Like say a Momtecristo Number 2 ( Cuban of course ) or if you need a little more than an hour. A Excaliber #1 should do.

[luvbach1]

Are you a cigarette smoker by chance?

[luvbach1]

Not mandatory to hang out there, but cigarettee smokers will be there (if it is built), so not premature to make the observations I made. I happen to smoke an occasional cigar; however, I do not work in the capital so will be unaffected.

[devane617]

I wonder what brand Cigar Arnold smokes? I love Cigars, and have never heard a specific brand name for him...

[luvbach1]

I repeat, good cigars smell better than cigarettes; ditto for pipes.

[clintonh8r]

Make mine an A. Fuente Don Carlos Doble Robusto, please.

[freekitty]

I love this.

[hchutch]

Yup. Nice to see some of the nany-state types are throiwng a fit.

[Gabz]

Some people just have no concept of the realities of life...

Good for Arnold........

[beckysueb]

No but my husband is and some of his relatives. I don't try to hamper their fun. Live and let live. I know the arguement; their killing themselves. Its their lives. But their killing others. No proof of that, only speculation.

[Rebelbase]

"Good cigars smell better than cigarettes "

Have to disagree with that. And then there's the whole issue of a man savoring a long blunt object in his mouth.....

On the other hand, Chicks with cigars are cool.

[jimt]

Good for the Governor !

It's nice to see that the smokers, who pay lots of taxes, will have at least somewhere to go, if not floor space proportional to their tax burden.

[djf]

Ashton Cabinet....


That, and a good scotch, and I got X-ray vision!

[luvbach1]

I don't want to deny cigarette smokers their right to smoke. I live in CA where indoors smoking has been banned for some time so it is not the problem (avoiding cigarette smoke)it once was. I oppose futher taxes on over-taxed cigarette smokers.

[tdadams]

What ever happened to liberal "tolerance" and "choice"?!

That's why you'll never see me use the term 'liberal' to describe the fascist left. They are anything but liberal. They are control freaks.

[tdadams]

"hand a guy a cigar and you've got about an hour of his time"

Yeah,especially if you hand him GOOD one. Like say a Momtecristo Number 2 ( Cuban of course ) or if you need a little more than an hour. A Excaliber #1 should do.

Both among my favorites. Say, you don't need an hour of my time do you?

[tdadams]

I know he's been seen with a box of Cohibas, but here was his reply to that question in Cigar Aficionado:

"Cohiba, Punch Punch. Punch Punch is actually my favorite size. It's a good size for an after-dinner smoke or during the day. I used to love Davidoff, and there are still sometimes good ones around. Sometimes you get good Romeo y Julietas. And Hoyo de Monterrey is a great cigar. Milton Berle came over to my house one time--I think it was when I had my 40th birthday--and he brought over a box [of Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas] and gave me one. It was a spectacular smoke."

[devane617]

Cohiba PP, and RyJ. That is living the hi-life. I wonder if they are the real thing?

[tdadams]

I once read that he paid $600 for a box of Cohibas. For that kind of money, I expect they're real. I'm sure he has connections.