Sunday, March 6, 2011

this guy really overreacted in an inappropriate way to smoking inside a bar enforcing IL's state ban

Just caught this article on the Smokers Club forum for Illinois, and it makes me extremely annoyed someone would act this way. This is a bar in Naperville, where it happened.

The press ridiculously stereotypes smokers and any issue related to smoking, and I can't help but fear this'll make them try the tired stereotyping more. I'm actually surprised nobody has come up with a drinking game, for every single time some TV news program, or commercial exaggerates the lies on SHS, and other dubious claims from anti-smoking groups. That would make a hell of a drinking game!

Well anyway, joking aside, here's the article:

http://www.examiner.com/cultural-oddities-in-national/crime-chicago-man-caught-smoking-bar-arrested-security-gaurd-stabbing

if IL lawmakers gave any crap about property rights, they SHOULD pass both bills immediately

Just caught this press release from the IPCPR, and I couldn't agree more. I think I will try to write an encouraging letter, to encourage lawmakers to favor the side of property rights, and pass both bills immediately. And if you live in Illinois, please do ask them to support House Bill 171(to allow for segregated smoking areas in casinos) and House Bill 1310(allowing local liquor commissions to grant smoking licenses to bars and other adult-oriented businesses that get 10% or less revenue from food sales).

I would personally prefer that both age-restricted adult venues like bars have no food requirement imposed on whether they can permit smoking(a la Idaho, Louisiana, and the city of Saint Louis, where there is NO limit on how much food they can serve if they choose to be a smoking establishment), but I would totally accept this as is, considering how damaged (formerly) smoker-friendly businesses throughout the state have been in the 3 years Illinois' smoking ban has been in effect. And it has taken FAR too long for the ball to start rolling on finally addressing this issue.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/3/prweb8179247.htm

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Forces offers $3,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of anti-smokers....

About time some organization started doing this, due to the fact that the anti-smoking hysteria bandwagon has long overran its course, and that an end to all of this really badly needs to happen! It'd really help, if so many factors could finally start to weed out of office, the most anti-smoking politicians who always enable more incremental laws to happen.

I especially look at Michael Bloomberg as the very worst of all these enabling anti-smoking politicians, and I have a bad feeling about Rahm Emmanuel being Chicago's next mayor doing sneaky that's very anti-smoking. It wouldn't surprise me if sometime during his first term as mayor, he announces he wants to raise the city cigarette tax from its current rate of 68 cents(this is on top of a $2 county cigarette tax, and a 98 cent state tax. and of course, why I don't buy in either Chicago or suburban Cook County). Doesn't help that I recall when he was a Congressman in the district that corrupt Blago and Rostenkowski once represented, Rahm voted in support of SCHIP and FDA tobacco regulation, as noted here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-976 (SCHIP bill that former Pres. Bush vetoed, he voted in favor of SCHIP each time, including on the failed veto override vote)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1108 (FDA tobacco regulation bill in 2007, this bill only passed Congress, but never got a U.S. Senate vote)

I'd certainly love to be proven wrong about Emmanuel, but can't help that I don't hold high hopes for him proving me wrong. Something makes me think that his governing style as mayor won't be much different than outgoing mayor Richard Daley, and who I never ONCE voted for. For the record, I was not impressed much with any of the 4 major mayoral candidates, and as a city resident, I very reluctantly voted for Miguel del Valle. Also, I was very divided on whether to vote for him or Chico, thinking there would be an Emmanuel-Chico runoff. But hey, one always has to move on from obsessing what could've been, if past elections had gone slightly differently.

And here's the link from Forces(thanks jredheadgirl for letting me know I forgot to include it, and sorry about that):
http://www.forces.org/reward/reward.htm