Saturday, October 25, 2008

Ripon Mayor Opposes Smoking Bans

The Mayor of Ripon reacts to the new Fond du Lac smoking ban and eplains why he opposes smoking bans.

Here are the reasons I cannot support a smoking ban:
1 - Smoking is not illegal in the United States. In fact, this state has increased its tax on cigarettes to fund public health programs, though, with our Governor’s track record, who knows where the additional revenue will go. If we want to be serious about curbing or eliminating smoking, then we should ban it entirely. Of course, the economic impacts would be tremendous in parts of the nation.
2 - I have heard the complaints about entering a bar or restaurant, where there is smoking. No one has forced anyone to enter these establishments. They entered of their own free-will, and that is the magic of the free market system. IF the owners of the properties had seen an economic advantage to eliminating smoking, they would enforce their own smoking bans. And, in some cases, restaurants have done that.
3 - I have also heard that smoking puts employees at risk. Once again, no one has forced them to work there. They chose to work there, and they should have clearly understood the risks.
4 - I agree smoking is not healthy, and advocates of the smoking ban have used this argument effectively. BUT obesity is not healthy (I am obese, another admission), and will the ban on smoking move on to fatty foods. Efforts have already been seen to ban such establishments as McDonalds in some California neighborhoods. Where did we lose the concept of personal choice, responsibility and freedom? Why does the government continue to think it always knows what is best for us?
5 - For the record, I am also opposed to the seat belt requirements, and the recent change in Wisconsin law to require certain booster seats for children. Once again, the government seems to know what is best for each individual, and that is a scary slope to start sliding down.

(5) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1347 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. The World Health Organization’s hustle—seat belts and smoking BS—are meant to put more money in doctors’ pockets in a way the average numbskull can’t figure out.I’ll do it for them.

    Seat belts cause worse injuries than they prevent.You hit the belt as hard as anything else,crushing the chest and causing the head to whiplash Laws forcing their use is barbaric.The only way to prevent injuries in a car wreck is padding inside and flexible fronts outside.Fat chance.

    No death has been demonstrated to be caused by smoking. If a smoker dies of the mumps, smoking caused it, according to the most corrupt racketeers on the planet.
    Their purpose thatis to outlaw tobacco—the best antidepressanf known to man—and replace it with prescription drugs at ten prices. These monsters own the media and can bribe any politician with their obscene wealth.They must be jailed.

    So you want to ban smoking entirely, causing a black market that a woujd make the drug war look like a walk in the park. The government does not know best and neither do you.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 25, 2008 at 1905 hrs


  2. I was with him up until the booster seat thing. The sad fact is that we have adults who are too stupid to safeguard their children. If an adult chooses not to wear a safety belt, that’s one thing. Youngsters aren’t capable of making that choice.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 25, 2008 at 1908 hrs


  3. We need to smoke more and more and anywhere we want to.  We need to take up smoking if we don’t already.  After all, it is for the children.  If we smoke more, more tax revenue is collected and more money can be placed into children’s healthcare and other healthcare programs.  Besides, if we smoke more, then our life expectancy goes down and that means less in social security payments.  So, it is patriotic to smoke as much as we can.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 26, 2008 at 0232 hrs


  4. A smoking ban means:It will be aganst the law to use or permit a legal product on ‘private’ property.
    Is this the American way??

    http://pasan.thetruthisalie com

    Posted by Thomas Laprade on October 27, 2008 at 0148 hrs


  5. I saw OBAMA smoking on this electric cigarette thing.  He was smoking inside!!!! It said Crown7 around the mouthpiece.  Im amazed by it so I checked it out.  These things are legal inside any bar or restaurant.

    www.Crown7.com

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 27, 2008 at 1631 hrs


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