Push for Smoking Bans Recedes
Well, well...
In this economy, lawmakers are more willing to let people smoke ‘em if they got ‘em.
As recently as last year, many states and major cities seemed ready to adopt complete indoor smoking bans. But the movement to kick all smokers outdoors has stalled as the recession worsens and lawmakers fear hurting business at bars, restaurants and casinos.
Once again, we see principles being crushed by the weight of the Benjamins.
Once again, we see principles being crushed by the weight of the Benjamins.
Yawn, actually we saw it earlier today on the Exec Pay thread as well.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 04, 2009 at 2158 hrs
But the movement to kick all smokers outdoors has stalled as the recession worsens and lawmakers fear hurting business at bars, restaurants and casinos.
And don’t forget the taxes that are collected on the smokes. Gotta keep that money coming in so it can be wasted on pet projects.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 04, 2009 at 2210 hrs
If the ban would hurt business at bars, restaurants and casinos now, it would hurt business anytime. Just don’t do it, period. Duh.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 04, 2009 at 2259 hrs
Well, of course they need people to smoke. The Dem’s just doubled+ the federal tax on cigarettes to pay for illegal immigrant health care and help pay for insurance for the upper middle class
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 04, 2009 at 2327 hrs
The next step. Weed. Legalize it. Tax it. Lets act like rational adults.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 0108 hrs
Recent events and revelations have me wondering….do Democrats pay taxes on their cigarettes or have they found a way to cheat on that tax as well?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 0540 hrs
Yeah - let’s legalize marijuana so we can tax it and let’s do the same for heroin, speed, and the other drugs.
I believe this was tried in Amsterdam. How’d that work for them?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 0808 hrs
I can’t believe that government can actually legalize marijuana for tax purposes. Am I crazy or does this make no sense?
Posted by Smoking Cigars on February 05, 2009 at 0948 hrs
First of all, it worked relatively well in Amsterdam. The problems they encountered stemmed almost exclusively from the factthat pot was only quasi-legal. Black markets and gang/mafia activity derive power primarily from settling disputes in the absence of governments (“enforcing contracts” if you will). Amsterdam’s policies were, more or less to legalize the underground as providers. Rather than making the practice completely legit, they chose to maintain the one thing that legalization should end.
That said, Amsterdam’s polcies were still better than ours.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 1020 hrs
Yeah - there’s always such a distant connection between drugs and crime. Not to mention the number of industrial, and highway accidents from people stoned out of their gourds.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 1117 hrs
There is no connection between legal drugs and crime. Ergo, the connection between drugs and crime stems from the illegality.
Moreover, to the extent that unsafe illicit drugs cause harm to individuals, this is also a result of the drug war, as legit drug companies (which would have to go through FDA approval and be subject to legal recourse) are prohibited from producing recreational drugs.
Moreover, this prohibition almost certainly drives up the cost of medicinal drugs, as recreational drugs make the perfect high-margin product with which to subsidize medicinal drugs.
The fact is that if we outlawed anything that people find desirable, crime would spring up to provide it. The product itself does not matter a bit. If we band laptop PCs, the mafia would gladly provide them.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 1217 hrs
Actually Paul, the requirements of social medicine in other countries, the drug trials, and potential lawsuits drives up the cost of medicinal drugs. Phase 3 drug trials (the ones on humans) can take years and cost tons of money (I used to work with a company that sold equipment for these trials). Even with the trials, if the drug gets approved, when it gets into a larger population, there could be side effects that aren’t seen in the trials and then you get the Vioxx effect. Everybody sues the drug company even though they did the appropriate R&D, trials, and got FDA approval. If they don’t get sued, countries like Canada and those in Europe limit the amount that the drug can be sold for - driving up the cost for the US. The R&D costs aren’t recuped by the tooth fairy…
Damn those evil Big Pharmecutical companies.
That said - I’m not all against legalizing pot for adults and taxing the hell out of it and treating it like alcohol (not at work, don’t drive, etc.)
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 1231 hrs
JJ, I think you missed my point. Surely your average drug company, faced with all of those pressures, would create a safer, more effective recreational drug than some idiot in a trailer-park meth lab.
I’m not really sure how to respond any further, as nothing you said really contradicted anything that I said.
By the way, I used to work for a drug company.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 1245 hrs
Paul - you are correct - I missed your original point. Thanks for the clarification.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 05, 2009 at 1809 hrs
Burgundy Wine lies at the very heart of France, and is one of the world’s finest wine producing regions. Located two hours to the southeast of Paris, the wine area starts in Chablis in the north of the region and then it follows the autoroute A6 southerly to Lyon.
The Burgundy soil is mainly based on oolitic limestone, upon which both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes flourish.Posted by Antoinette B. Kean on February 26, 2009 at 1226 hrs
Caffeine addiction
In this article, we are going to discuss the importance of caffeine addiction and the most important facts ictions in the world, just like cocaine and marihuana. Caffeine addiction sometimabout it, as caffeine addiction is something we all must prevent in order for us to be healthy and stay that way for years.Posted by Paul C. Herson on March 02, 2009 at 1052 hrs
So I really needed a good computer ergonomy. Because I work for this big company, they don’t have economic problems as to give employees the right equipment for them to work as comfortably as possible. Such was the case when I solicited a Computer Ergonomic Workstation.
Posted by Bridget W. Burks on March 02, 2009 at 1518 hrs
The price of this product (Penegra) is really less expensive than other products and of course the idea is that you use the best that can find in the web and a good option is use penegra online, this product have long time to help many men around the world and is good idea that if your last erectile dysfunction or impotence treatments can help you well that you try to use other option like for example penegra and of course buy penegra too.
Posted by Lorene J. Diggs on March 03, 2009 at 1049 hrs
Total Entries: 19656
Total Comments: 129831
Most Recent Entry: 02/11/2012 09:52 pm
Most Recent Comment on: 02/11/2012 04:55 pm
Total Members: 9751
Total Logged in members: 0
Total guests: 88
Total anonymous users: 0
Most Recent Visitor on: 02/12/2012 04:08 am
The most visitors ever was 538 on 12/01/2007 02:11 pm
Protected and licensed under a Creative Commons License (some rights reserved).