A smoke-free Texas? State senator proposes statewide smoking ban

Austin American-Statesman ^ | 18 January 2007 | Corrie MacLaggan

[Brilliant]

Tobacco--no. Marijuana--yes.

[MeanWestTexan]

It's all about collection of power.

[Westlander]

Smoke dreams.

[hadaclueonce]

These are the same idiots that passed a dollar a pack tax increase to fund education. Now they want to do away with smoking? Who will pay for education?

Maybe they will "steal" another 2 billion dollars for the gas tax and then clam they need even more toll roads.

I love Texas, but the yahoos we send Austin are the biggest bunch of azz clowns I have ever seen.

[Just A Nobody]

It's all about collection of power.

Turning America into a socialist/communist/facist nation.

[pax_et_bonum]

ping

[Just A Nobody]

Ping

[edcoil]

The loss of sales tax revenue on smokes will have to be made up somewhere.

[Centurion2000]

"It is a public health crisis and a very expensive one," said state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston

Stinking democrats

[bamahead]

ping

[TheDon]

"It is a public health crisis and a very expensive one," said state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston

Don't write this off just because you don't smoke, or are happy about it. This is just the beginning of many, many more laws to prevent activities that cause "a public health crisis and a very expensive one". As the government completes the takeover of our medical industry, they will complete the takeover of our lives. The Left exchange the slogan about "no one telling them what they can do with their bodies" with "one child per family". The Left wants you to have freedom, as long as it is the freedom they want you to have.

[Zeppelin]

and then it's just a matter of time before you can't smoke within 20 feet of your neighbor's property, and then 30 feet, and then 3 miles...and so on.

its a slippery slope.

(this coming from a non-smoker)

[hophead]

This is just like the gun-grabbers. Instead of banning the manufacture, distribution, sale and possession of tobacco, they want to just tell you you can't smoke anywhere.
The gun-grabbers do not have the balls to try to REPEAL Article 2 of the Bill of Rights.
If smoking is so bad just make possession of tobacco a crime and deal with those issues that will be apparent then.

[GoldCountryRedneck]

...opponents will argue that this is an issue of personal liberty.

"But we sure won't let that little detail get in the way." /sarc

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

"The bottom line is this country is going to be smoke-free within five to eight years,"

Interesting comment. Does he mean that in 5-8 years there will be no smoking in any public place in America, or no smoking -- period?

[ElkGroveDan]

In Texas??? Texas???

This can't be true. The Texas Freepers have told us time and time again how only California has bad government and nanny-state liberals.

[tomcorn]

Personal liberty does not include the liberty to make other people ill. If you wish to smoke the do it on your own property. I smoked for 40 years and was a damn fool for doing it. I quit finally. Those who tell you smoking is about liberty are also fools. Smoking is about disease, addiction and early death for the smoker and those around them.

[SpaceBar]

Conservation of liberty. China becomes a free market economy, we become a politically correct police state.

[hophead]

"These are the same idiots that passed a dollar a pack tax increase to fund education. Now they want to do away with smoking? Who will pay for education?"

That is the liberal plan when they tax these things. We get used to the funding of these programs and when the funds dry up they MUST find another "revenue enhancement" to continue a program which if folded will cause the end of the world as we know it.