MAINE: Legislature considering outlawing smoking in bars

SJOnline ^ | 4-30-03 | Bonnie Washuk

[SheLion]

Gov Baldacci - Little Hitler

[SheLion]

I am TOTALLY FED UP with the dictatorship coming from the Governor AND the lawmakers in MAINE!

Who are THEY to go into a private business and tell them how to run it!

[SheLion]

“I’m concerned about workers, people in there who don’t smoke,” Walcott said. Many bars are small, and the second-hand smoke is concentrated. “Secondhand smoke is a killer.” Banning smoking in bars “is the right thing to do,” Walcott said. Less secondhand smoke would help lower health care costs in Maine, he said.

PROVE IT JERK! Show me ONE death certificate that states just ONE person died from second hand smoke...........then maybe I might .........just MIGHT believe it.

[billorites]

"Craven said the Ramada Inn in Lewiston is smoke free"

Gosh, 25 years ago I used to hang out there, smoking and drinking, in the "Kit Kat Lounge."

[SheLion]

The place I love to go and have a wonderful meal, spend my money and TIP well is the Par and Grill in Caribou.

In 1999, the asinine Board of Health along with the lawmakers, passed that ASININE bill to make all restaurants smoke free. The Par and Grill, which was called Pat's Pizza back then, were forced to go smoke free. For a whole year, we never stepped foot back into that place, although it broke my heart. It's my favorite place in all of Aroostook County.

Within a year, the owner was going broke. She was going to close the doors, when she decided to buy a very expensive liquor license. And that is what allowed her to once again, open up her smoking section. We couldn't WAIT to get back there!!!!!!!!

Now, here we go again. I am sick and tired of "little nazi's" sitting in our state house and lording over us. I think it's time to CLEAN HOUSE!

Gov. Baldacci caters to the Somali's in Lewiston, Maine, but he sure wants to stick it to his own Mainers just because they smoke. Where is the justice!

I KNEW his true colors would emerge sooner or later!

But oh boy! Does he ever want that Tobacco Settlement Money! To WHICH the Maine smokers are paying for!

[SheLion]

"Craven said the Ramada Inn in Lewiston is smoke free"

Lewiston is over run with Somali's.

A bar is a bar is a bar, but in Maine, a LOT of our bars serve food! I don't go to the Par and Grill to DRINK! I go there for a good meal, cups of coffee, to relax and smoke. They get my money and I tip good.

This place almost closed back in 2000 because of the smoking ban. The manager told me that if this passes, he may as well close down now, because that's what it will come to anyway.

Maine.......poorest state in the Union. And it's no wonder with all the DemocRATS AND RINO'S in the STATE House.........

[Kip Lange]

The Health/Safety Nazis, at work again.

Listen...*all* we have to do is get a couple of Senators or other high-level officials tossed on this issue to scare everybody fecal-less on this issue and turn back the tide. That's it. Even ONE guy bounced out of office. Smokers still make up at least 25% of the population...that's more than enough. We just need a politician with the cajones to run on it, push it, win on it...then, you got others scared because THEY NOW KNOW THEY CAN LOSE ON THIS SINGLE ISSUE, and, second, it becomes part of the agenda, and setting the agenda is the most important part of all...

I'm not going to bother with the rants on the BS of second-hand smoke, or the absurdity of not being able to open all-smoking bar if you have all your employees sign off...I will say that my father was one of Heckler's chief speechwriters when she worked at HHS, and, ah, the fun of the funding shill game, there was a guy down the hall who was doing a study on the benefits of smoking, which include: Increased short term memory, dual-action (picks you up when needed, puts you down when needed), aids in digestion...you think he got his study funded? ;-)

[Conspiracy Guy]

In Alabama we require smoking in bars. It keeps the riff raff out.

[Kip Lange]

The Boston smoking ban is about to go into effect. The one in New York is causing a severe backlash. See the above note. SOMEONE has got to step up and make this an issue. Where are my lobbyists when I need them? Sure, smoking is a stupid thing to do to your body, but I RESERVE MY RIGHT TO BE STUPID, thank you very much.

They will pry the pack of Marlboros from my cold, dead, fingers.

Is it not ironic that Timothy Leary's last arrest before his death was for smoking at an airport to protest the "demonization of smokers"? I guess the far left and far right do wrap around and meet sometimes. ;-)

[Kip Lange]

Don't kid yourself. It'll come to Alabama, too. I was in California when it hit there, and people in Boston chuckled politely and thought it would never come out here. Now it's landing with a thud, courtesy of Mumbles Menino, and going to put God knows how many small business owners out of business. It's bad enough that we keep up this obscene taxes -- which target lower tax-bracket folks anyway (where are the Dems on this one, eh? Where is ANYONE on this one?!? argh). This makes my blood boil. So much so that I need to fire up a butt.

[Kip Lange]

"...*these* obscene taxes..." (whoops)

[Conspiracy Guy]

You don't understand Alabama. We have had several cities fail in attempting to ban smoking in restaurants. Bars would be absurd and would be repealed if it ever passed. For the record CA and MA are not known as bastions of individual rights.

[SheLion]

In Alabama we require smoking in bars. It keeps the riff raff out.

Real cute! You sure your in the right forum? I hear the Liberal forum is looking for you!

[Eagle Eye]

Not only should they outlaw smoking in bars, they ought to outlaw bars for their corrupting influence in society.

Then they ought to outlaw or severely regulate and tax unhealthy foods.

Then there should be legislative 'incentives' to 'encourage' people to have an active fitness program with quantifiable results.

There should also be a law and taxes regulating the amount of television (in any form) and the amount of time on the computer one spends.

Hey, if people cannot or will not take care of themselves properly, it is the duty of the government to take care of people and make them refrain from what might be harmful, and require them to do what may be beneficial ala the War on(Some)Drugs.

/sarcastic rant

Funny how people don't give a damn about infringements on freedoms until it is their freedoms that are in danger.

[SheLion]

In Alabama we require smoking in bars. It keeps the riff raff out.

ARE YOU CALLING ME "RIFF RAFF???????????" Sounds like the ABUSE BUTTON is in order here!

[Kip Lange]

PROVE IT JERK! Show me ONE death certificate that states just ONE person died from second hand smoke...........then maybe I might .........just MIGHT believe it.

I don't care if they DO show you a death certificate. As far as the EPA is concerned, after doubling the margin of error to 10%, still only finding one study, then delving into pure sham-science "meta-analysis"...oh, they've "proven" it.

I've seen the numbers. I *know* the lengths they went to in order to fabricate the second-hand-smoke baloney in order to tell *you* that *you* can't smoke because it's not good for "someone else" -- instead of not just good for you.

Utter BS. Just give me ONE politician to stand up on run on this issue...and *win* on it...and we will start having people run scared. They're sheep. The won't want to touch an issue that could make them lose the campaign. But why has no one TRIED to organize the dang smokers? And the small business owners affected? Why? Do the Health Nazis goose-step unopposed?

Elitist SOBs. They'll also show you polls showing people support the ban on smoking in bars/restaurants. They won't shwo you polls, however, of *just* restaurant and ESPECIALLY bar *patrons* and *owners*. People in Ivory Towers telling me what's good for me. Grrrrrr...

[SheLion]

[SheLion]

Funny how people don't give a damn about infringements on freedoms until it is their freedoms that are in danger.

Oh listen! The lawmakers sit in their little cocoons and are WELL protected from losing ANY of their rights. They sit on their high seat and let the power hungry control take over to "stick it to the little people."

[Kip Lange]

Correction:

"Funny how ^^some^ people don't give a damn about infringements on freedoms until it is their freedoms that are in danger."

Don't generalize, now. ;-)

[Conspiracy Guy]

Smoking is not a left right issue. I think you'll find that most laws concerning smoking are passed by Democrats. So maybe one of us is in the wrong place.