[VermiciousKnid]

It was Bloomberg AND Pataki.

Bloomberg pushed the anti-smoking law through in New York City. Pataki signed the law that was pushed through in the WHOLE STATE.

BTW...something's VERY fishy about how fast this legislation moved through the legislature. No public announcement of the impending vote, no debate on the floor, and no opportunity for the public itself to address the legislature. To make matters more interesting, remember that Pataki has already given a hand job to the Hospital Workers' Union in the form of a new cigarette tax (he needed their support in the last election) -- and they are STILL squawking for more!

I tell you, something is REALLY rotten in Denmark. I have an appointment w/my local state senator next week. I intend to get to the bottom of it, or he is going to get VERY sick of seeing my face in his office.

Regards,

PS: Oh, I forgot...as far as I know, they are late AGAIN with the state budget. Guess they had nothing better to do than spend their days tap dancing on the remnants of the Constitution & stealing my money from me.

[qam1]

Don't forget they also took advantage of the start of the war with Iraq and snuck this through when nobody was paying attention.

And speaking of the Budget and Hospital Workers' Union. No the budget hasn't been passed yet and apparently after all those obnoxious commericals we been hearing on how if budget passed as is old people will be thrown out into street Pataki and the legistators caved and despite the $10 billion state deficit and double digit property tax increases they are going to increase spending by $2 Billion. They are just figureing out how to pay for it (i.e. which of our taxes to raise higher). Wonderful huh? Even California will reduce it's spending but not New York. Thanks Pataki. The only good news is people in this state are finally starting to see Pataki for who he is and his poll numbers are starting to tank.

BTW. I with a freind who is a Republican town supervisor who is also pissed at this law was supposed to meet with my Senator last Friday but she instead decided to bolt to Myrtle Beach for the weekend and cancelled. She has been keeping a low profile up here but I will get her eventually. Actually Pataki brought a summer home up here last year and makes a lot of appearances in the towns around here, I hope I run into him because he will get a ear full.

I will have to give credit to my Assemblywoman (Sayward) she voted against it and has been rallying against it. She wrote an excellent article in one of our local papers (No website or I would put a link)on how bad this law is. Especially on one nasty little provision in the bill that nobody is talking about. Did you know that if you hire a caterer for a private party or whatever at your house you can not smoke in your own house!!! Even if you have the party outside you can not smoke if you put a tent up if you hire a caterer.