In other words, give em an inch and they will certainly take a thousand miles.
I hate our government, and I will speak against it EVERY single time they encroach on my rights or the rights of others.
PISS ON THEM!!
Posted on 03/11/2006 8:35:31 AM PST by SheLion
A statewide indoor smoking ban that exempts casinos is unfair and should never have been signed into law.
When they approved an indoor smoking ban for New Jersey in January, lawmakers all but admitted a double standard was being set by allowing Atlantic City's casinos to continue allowing smoking.
Now, a coalition of bars, restaurants and bowling alleys is rightly challenging the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act, set to go into effect April 15, asking a federal court to strike it down as unconstitutional. Hopefully, their challenge will lead to the law being scrapped.
It was shockingly hypocritical for state lawmakers, asserting they wanted to protect the health of workers across the state, to pass a smoking ban that left thousands of workers unprotected for no apparent reason other than politics. The Atlantic City casinos had pushed to not be barred from allowing smoking in the gambling halls.
"It (the casino industry) employs 50,000 people, has billions in public and private investment and just as importantly provides hundreds of millions of dollars to the state annually," Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, D-Camden, said just after the bill was signed by former Gov. Richard J. Codey. "The view was that we have to look carefully at any industry that is that important and that fragile, given the competition all over the nation."
That flawed logic completely ignores the millions of dollars generated and thousands of people employed by bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and other businesses in the state. Apparently, the owners of these establishments don't deserve the right to make a choice that might affect their businesses -- a choice casino owners will continue to have.
"It's pathetic that these restaurant and bar owners have the gall to try and keep poisoning the bodies of their workers and customers," state Sen. John Adler, D-Cherry Hill, said in reacting to the federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Trenton.
What's pathetic is that Adler, a key proponent of the smoking ban, either doesn't see or is completely ignoring the double standard of this law and the unfairness of it.
There's absolutely nothing right or fair about giving casinos a choice that other New Jersey businesses won't have. It was unbelievable that so many lawmakers got behind the spineless measure.
Robert Gluck, a lawyer for the groups that filed the suit, said they'd be happy if the ban was extended to every business in the state's hospitality industry, including casinos.
That would be more fair, but it would still have the government going too far. Plain and simple, the decision should be made by individual businesses, not the government.
If New Jersey lawmakers, who bring in millions for the state by heavily taxing tobacco, aren't going to make smoking illegal, they shouldn't play nanny and unfairly tell certain business owners not to allow it.
The federal court should strike down this ban, and New Jersey lawmakers should give up their misguided quest to make health decisions for adults. Any New Jerseyan who is truly bothered by cigarette smoke in a bar or restaurant can decide for himself or herself not to go to the establishment or work there.
In other words, give em an inch and they will certainly take a thousand miles.
I hate our government, and I will speak against it EVERY single time they encroach on my rights or the rights of others.
PISS ON THEM!!
But I would be willing to donate. The hard part would be to gather all the smokers under one Internet roof to start planning.
Well, that's not exactly the nature of the plan. A big organization to fight the entrenched interests will never happen.
The idea would require only a small organization with significant amounts of working capital which would essentially be given away to some government entities. But it would be leveraged in such a way that each dollar would do the work of hundreds, but raise havoc for selected individuals... make their lives hell.
That is all I am willing to say in public.
I'm a nonsmoker myself (and have never even picked up a cigarette) and don't think smoking belongs in some places like elementary schools and such. But I also am not in support of banning it everywhere such as in private clubs and such.
It is indeed the trend.
If that many didn't show up, who knows? I still don't support universal bans. People should be able to smoke somewhere. Pretty soon they will be banning it in people's homes too.
Now before you jump on me, I say it from the view of a nonsmoker. And yes, I don't think it should be done around kids and yes, I don't like the smell of it on my clothes, and yes, I don't like it when someone blows it in my face, and yes, there shouldn't be smoking in certain places. But in some places it should be left up to the business owner.
My apologies, I thought I was replying to WheethePeople. I am very sorry for my first statement.
You won't get any defense of perfume from me. I have actually told friends they needed to go and wash themselves. They laughed and went and did it. Remember when Musk was popular? Ugh! Nasty stuff!
Actually, I'm sorry for my whole entire reply to you. I should check next time to whom I'm replying (note that it was just after the person to whom I thought I was replying).
PISS ON THEM!!
Like I said, they promise us the moon to get our votes, then when they are in office, all they give us is the outhouse.
I'm sick of the lawmakers. Bunch of criminals, IMHO. If they can turn on 25-30% of their smoking constituents, who else are they going to turn against? Fork em!
Well, if anything comes together, let me know. We need some rebel attorneys on our side as well. Pro bono. hehe.
That is all I am willing to say in public.
That's fine. 
In ALL private businesses, this should be left up to the business owner and his patrons. NOT the government!
Public property: That which is purchased and maintained by tax dollars for the benefit of all people.
Private property: That which is not purchased or maintained by tax dollars and is for the benefit of the property owner.
No problem. :)
"I await your defense of perfume..."
Ummmm What if I don't have any defense?
Bans on perfume like bans peanut butter in schools seem like overkill to me,
Naw - in fact I'm as dumb as a post. I live in New York.
So you think I should just ignore this, even though they've threatened me with penalities if I don't pay up?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.