OHIO: Angry smokers vow to fight cigarette bans

Associated Press ^ | 2-7-04 | John Seewer

[SheLion]

Well, I say fine. Fight this fight with the small minority of smokers, and alienate those of us who don't. You'll lose.

When YOU leave ME alone, I WIN!

[nicmarlo]

P.S., SheLion, OhioWfan is a good egg....she wasn't insulting you personally, that's not her style. I think what she was stating was her strong dislike of the smell of smoke, but support for the wrongness of the bans....methinks you may be have taken her remarks a bit on the defensive side....we're all on the same side here.

[Total Package]

They are raiding bars sending three to eight cop cars to each raid. While robberies of convenience stores are on the rise they are after smokers. This city is run by anti business socialist democrats and a couple of RINOS.
This is a union town and they blame Bush for the lack of jobs in Toledo.
There are jobs in the surrounding area where the Dems are not in control. Businesses will not locate here and the ones that are here are leaving. The educated people are moving to the suburbs so they don't have to put up with the idiots that run this city. As for me soon as I am an RN, my wife and kids, and I are leaving this socialist hole; for the rest of my family has already left.

[SheLion]

But, if so many people truly dislike or are allergic to smoke, then why hadn't any non-smoking establishments arisen over the past 20 years supplying this "demand" without having to resort to the Nazi legilation forcing businesses to become non-smoking? (we already know the answer).

Exactly! I believed the smoking and non-smoking sections worked just fine. Everyone got along. And many non-smokers would sit in the smoking section for a meal when a restaurant was busy. The non-smokers didn't care. They just wanted to EAT!

Along comes the paid professional anti-smokers, and they started putting seeds of doubt out to the general public. The business owners didn't think it would REALLY happen to them, and life went on. Now, here we are......5 states that have "forced" restaurant owners and bar owners into going smoke free, and the future doesn't look so good.

And we all know that employees go to a bar/tavern for a job, they understand that there will be smoking. If they aren't happy with that, surely they can find a nice restaurant which IS smoke free. This government forced ban is almost like a sin to me.

When the STATE takes over a small business owner, who is in the states sites next? It gives me the shivers.

[nicmarlo]

Businesses will not locate here and the ones that are here are leaving...

Repeat this for upstate/central New York....absolutely no difference. The liberals are ruining America and American life.

[Gabz]

Morning, folks...........

I think we need to call a bit of a truce here. The flat nature of internet communication somethimes leads to simple misunderstandings that excalate totally out of proportion and the original misunderstanding gets lost in the fray.

I understand perfectly She Lion catching on to the "stink" remarks.......she and I have for so long been slapped with that slam, all over the internet - it is a very sore subject for both of us.

Personally I react to that comment in one of 3 ways - sometime I take it for the gratuitous slap it is intended as and I go into dog with a bone mode, sometimes I simply ignore it without seeing the full message, but lately what I have tried to do, and often succeed, is to see the whole picture of where the person is coming from.

I perfectly understand that some people do not care for the smell of tobacco smoke, or have a health problem with it, and that is perfectly understandable and I respect that. Unfortunately there have been so many people of late who believe that is as good a reason as any to force everyone else to cater to their wishes.

On the other hand there are plenty of non-smokers who do not like the smell, but understand that this issue goes beyond just smoking - they see the bigger picture and those folks are the ones that deserve a great deal of thanks and respect from us who have been fighting these battles for a long time.

If more people, smokers and non-smokers, saw this as just the small part of the bigger picture that it is, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

So for all you non-smokers that don't like the way tobacco smoke smells, but agree these laws, ordinances and regulations have gone to far....I say a heartfelt thank you.

[Total Package]

The city of Toledo is run by democrats and two rinos
The state is run by Republicans and has past a CCW.

[nicmarlo]

So for all you non-smokers that don't like the way tobacco smoke smells, but agree these laws, ordinances and regulations have gone to far....I say a heartfelt thank you.

Great post, Gabz. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said.

[forward]

I read in USA Today that a bar owner in N.Y. , has leased a huge stretch limo, and parks it in front of his establishment every evening, and has turned it into a smoking lounge!! The authorities haven't found a reason to charge him with a crime yet. LOL!

[nicmarlo]

LOL....but really, all of this is just insanity...

[SheLion]

There are jobs in the surrounding area where the Dems are not in control. Businesses will not locate here and the ones that are here are leaving. The educated people are moving to the suburbs so they don't have to put up with the idiots that run this city. As for me soon as I am an RN, my wife and kids, and I are leaving this socialist hole; for the rest of my family has already left.

That's all we are hearing today............The Economy The Economy The Economy!  The lawmakers are talking out of both sides of their mouths here.  If they want a good economy, why are they shutting out 25-30% of the people who choose to smoke?  That's 25-30% loss of revenue.  NOT good for the economy.

The lawmakers can't leave all decision making up to each individual state, then when that state fails in it's budget, just blame it on the President.  It doesn't work that way.  Or shouldn't.  A lot of people want each state to make it's decisions.  Now look at the mess San Francisco is in!

Every time a new lawmaker goes into office, he comes with his own set of rules and regulations.  It won't be long before we will have to wipe the slate clean and start over.  Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

[nicmarlo]

When the STATE takes over a small business owner, who is in the states sites next? It gives me the shivers.

Honestly, 1984 comes to mind.

[Gabz]

Thank you.

My non-smoking friends and my smoking friends long ago came to a perfectly reasonable compromise - when a group of us would go out for dinner, we generally will go to a non-smoking establishment or sit in the non-smoking section. But if we are going out for an evening of drinking we would head for the places that generally had decent ventilation systems or, in the nice weather, outside dining and drinking.

Unfortunatley the state of Delaware took that choice away from us a year and a half ago. Yet when my non-smoking friends come to visit us in VA, we stick with the same arrangement. When we visit in Delaware, we only got out to eat or drink when the weather is decent and only go to places with outside seating.

[SheLion]

Honestly, 1984 comes to mind.

~chills

[nicmarlo]

Excellent compromise. My, how did you ADULTS manage to come to that DECISION without the aid of the nanny Nazis?

[SheLion]

when a group of us would go out for dinner, we generally will go to a non-smoking establishment or sit in the non-smoking section.

The same here. When my daughter comes home with grandbaby, we sat in the non-smoking area. We would take turns going to the smoking section for a quick cigarette.

Now, Maine has taken that away from us, as well.

I'm saving money by not going out to eat, but I really miss that part of my recreation. I could go over to Canada for meals. They still have smoking sections across the border. But I'm afraid of borders today.

[Gabz]

Maybe, because we are all ADULTS, and had parents that taught us to work out our problems and realize that the world doesn't revolve around us and our likes and dislikes???

[nicmarlo]

the world doesn't revolve around us and our likes and dislikes???

BINGO!

[Gabz]

Well, save up some of that money you are not spending and come visit us!!! I'll even make sure hubby and I sit downwind of you, so you don't smell our beer breath (LOL!!!)

[SheLion]

Well, save up some of that money you are not spending and come visit us!!! I'll even make sure hubby and I sit downwind of you, so you don't smell our beer breath (LOL!!!)

Sounds like a winner! Oh yes! Ole Beer Breath. hee hee!

Now you KNOW I was just using that as an example. LOL!

Seriously, I'd LOVE to come visit.  I'd give you plenty of notice, though!