Cafe business up in smoke (smoking ban closes restaurant)

The Citizen Auburn NY ^ | Friday, December 20, 2002 | By Mary Bulkot / Staff Writer

[VRWC_minion]

Guess who won't be fighting?

It won't be the smokers. They'll be too busy puffing away in some back alley.

[Protagoras]

you please exempt me from the income, property and sales taxes ?

Trying to get someone to do your fighting for you again?

[Madame Dufarge]

Its called precedent. Without it you are creating new law.

It's called legislating from the bench, a means of creating new law without benefit of the legislature. Without it, you have Constitutional law, not case law.

[Protagoras]

It won't be the smokers.

The real answer is you, coward.

[VRWC_minion]

It's called legislating from the bench, a means of creating new law without benefit of the legislature. Without it, you have Constitutional law, not case law.

You are mistaken. Our legal system is based on precedents. Precedents is the anti-thesis of legislating from the bench.

[VRWC_minion]

The real answer is you, coward.

I see it is painfully obvious to any reader that by resorting to names you have lost the debate over the power of the state to regulate smoking in its borders.

One case would have done it but we both know it doesn't exist.

[Madame Dufarge]

You are mistaken. Our legal system is based on precedents

No, you are mistaken. A precedent based on unconstitutional law and built upon by succeeding cases is still that, unconstitutional.

A bad foundation undermines justice.

Liberal, statist courts, with their "living document" philosophy have advanced their political agendas using this means.

They understand how the Constitution can be undermined judicially; why do you think they fight tooth and nail when conservative judicial nominees are presented?

[Madame Dufarge]

Thanks to MadIvan for posting the following from Gilbert & Sullivan:

"If you give me your attention, I will tell you what I am:
I'm a genuine philanthropist -- all other kinds are sham.
Each little fault of temper and each social defect
In my erring fellow-creatures, I endeavour to correct.
To all their little weaknesses I open people's eyes;
And little plans to snub the self-sufficient I devise;
I love my fellow creatures -- I do all the good I can--
Yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
And I can't think why!

"To compliments inflated I've a withering reply;
And vanity I always do my best to mortify;
A charitable action I can skillfully dissect;
And interested motives I'm delighted to detect;
I know ev'rybody's income and what ev'rybody earns;
And I carefully compare it with the income-tax returns;
But to benefit humanity however much I plan,
Yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
And I can't think why!

"I'm sure I'm no ascetic; I'm as pleasant as can be;
You'll always find me ready with a crushing repartee,
I've an irritating chuckle, I've a celebrated sneer,
I've an entertaining snigger, I've a fascinating leer.
To ev'rybody's prejudice I know a thing or two;
I can tell a woman's age in half a minute -- and I do.
But although I try to make myself as pleasant as I can,
Yet ev'rybody says I'm such a disagreeable man!
And I can't think why!"

[Protagoras]

The only thing painfully obvious is that you are a cowardly thug. Sending someone else to force people to run their businesses as YOU see fit. Too cowardly to go and push the gun in their face yourself and force them to make everyone put out their cigarettes, you ask government thugs to do it for you. Pathetic little sniveling dwarf.

You must have had the crap beaten out of you at recess everyday as a kid, and are trying to catch up now.

[Protagoras]

the power of the state to regulate smoking in its borders.

They have the power because they have the guns. I never said they didn't. Your lack of reading comprehension is only eclipsed by your lack of balls.

What they don't have is the legitimate power.

[laredo44]

...who decides what is legitimate and illegitimate ? ... I might be wrong but I thought it was the courts subject to the legislature.

Legitimate power, at least according to the founders of this republic, is the power to protect rights. Powers not used to protect rights would be illegitimate.

[nobdysfool]

If someone who hate smoke is a liberal then I'm the poster boy. If someone who thinks smokers are selfish and rude is a liberal then my picture is next to the dictionary definition. Okie dokie ?

By Golly, his pic IS there! Whaddaya know about that?

PS you're the selfish one....