RSSPennsylvania Senate Passes Smoking Ban
J.J. Jackson* | June 29, 2007
Liberty, we barely knew ya. Right now it appears as though it is a race to see who can be more liberal:
(KDKA) HARRISBURG Governor Ed Rendell is taking exception to some exemptions in a statewide smoking ban bill.A coalition of health associations also pulled its support for the legislation today.
The bill would ban indoor smoking in Pennsylvania, but new changes would exempt private clubs, bars and casinos.
The governor is also upset about a new measure that would allow smoking in small, home-based child-care settings.
The article also notes that Oregon has added itself to the list of states joining this new temperance movement under the auspices that smoking is bad for you. Which begs the question as to why is it still legal to sell and buy tobacco in states that have passed these bans?
Don’t ask them to be consistent. Their pursuit of power is all that drives them.
The Marc Levy of the Associated Press in Houston Chronicle had this to say:
Smoking would be banned in most public places and work places, including arenas, stores, restaurants, convention halls and shopping malls.
Huh? I was unaware Mr. Levy that restaurants and shopping malls were “public places”. Last time I looked MOST of them were PRIVATELY owned! Poor reporting Mr. Levy. Poor Reporting. Your ideology is showing.
Mr. Levy also reports:
However, Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Allegheny, voted against it, saying the Senate had a duty to stand up for hospitality-sector workers and children who cannot protect themselves from second-hand smoke.“We had a chance to help those who can’t help themselves,” Ferlo said.
Another big old “huh?”. Listen, I know you demoratards think everyone is helpless, but the people really do not need your help. No one is being forced to go to work in a place that allows smoking. They can work somewhere else and “protect” themselves. Unless they are your typical liberal Democrat voter that is.
At least one Senator got it right. And low and behold she is a Republican too. Huh. Go figure!
Sen. Mary Jo White, R-Venango, also opposed it, saying a government smoking ban in private businesses is heavy-handed and misguided in its effort to manage personal choices.“I am wondering where we’re going to stop,” White said. “Business owners who believe that second-hand smoke is endangering their employees I think have the moral obligation to make their work place smoke-free. They don’t need the Legislature to tell them that.”
With 27 states now having smoking bans (according to Mr. Levy … I haven’t checked that but we’ll trust him) we’re only a couple states away from the two thirds majority that would be required for a Constitutional Amendment to pass that would ban smoking. We’re not that far from another failed prohibition that is going to end with the government looking like a fool yet again.
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7 Responses to “Pennsylvania Senate Passes Smoking Ban”
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Smoking should be ban in bars,dining,and all public places. If new york can do it so can we.
Since when are bars, restaurants, etc “public places” to anyone except a Marxist? The state doesn’t own them and the owners are allowed to refuse service if they want because they pay the bills and taxes.
Now, if you think that a bar which is privately owned is a “public place” then the same can be said of your home. After all your home is just as public as a bar or restaurant in the sense that anything you claim makes a bar or restaurant “public” applies to your home as well. I think we should start coming up with rules about what Jim can and cannot do in his own home.
What do you think?
LibertarianPrince on January 12th, 2008 2:51 pm:
“I think we should start coming up with rules about what Jim can and cannot do in his own home.
What do you think?”
Absolutely. I think that first, since crap smells bad and pollutes our rivers and that since our WWT plants are overloaded as is that Jim should not be allowed to crap in his toilet and flush it into the public sewer. After all, it is “public” and we should be allowed to regulate it for the “public good”. I’m sure Jim will agree and he’ll be more than welcome to help out the environment and the rest of us.
I’ll be he voted for Rendell too.
I think Jim should be required to do everything that a PRIVATE business which he wants to make STATE controlled is required to do.
He should have to pay 35% corporate income tax before paying himself and then paying personal income tax.
He should have to submit regularly to having health inspectors in his home going over everything in his kitchen with a pair of white gloves.
He should have to pay all his SSI and Medicare himself instead of having his employer pick up half the bill.
There are so many more.
if the majority of the people want smoking banned in public then so be it! sometimes government has to protect people from themselves. most of the debate is central to individual freedom ,but the real issue is perceived revenue loss! wake up everybody ,as usual it’s about the green.
Unfortunately Bob, that is not the way American works. Since we are all guaranteed a republican form of government (see Constitution) just because the majority wants something doesn’t mean they get it.
You might like it to be the way you describe but it is best that it is not. Otherwise the majority could tyrannize the minority.
And besides, restaurants and bars are still not “public” places. That seems to be the major distinction that those who want smoking bans or support them seem to like to ignore.
RonniesRayGun on January 13th, 2008 2:32 pm:
“Unfortunately Bob, that is not the way American works. Since we are all guaranteed a republican form of government (see Constitution) just because the majority wants something doesn’t mean they get it.
You might like it to be the way you describe but it is best that it is not. Otherwise the majority could tyrannize the minority.”
Reason and sanity as always Ron. This is what is happening in America right now. We’ve disregarded the concept of a republican government and allowed the majority (those that pay little or no taxes) to tyrannize the minority (those that pay 95% of the taxes) and enslave us to pay for their government programs.
But that’s ok in Bob’s world because the “majority” says it is. Talk about loose morals!