I grabbed this off of the "smoking in the cab" thread. If this is not allowed, please let me know or feel free to remove it. And if I come across as a little po'd, it's because I am.

Last time I checked, we were still a Republic?

This ban is nothing more then mob rule = democracy. Let me guess, it's for the children, right... I've heard that before, and it usually costs me money. And this smoking ban affects much more then the workplace. And in fact, they are still writing this very vague bill. It is not completed, who knows what else will be added. Will they reach into your home? Hmmm?

You guys don't get it, this is not about smoking. A 1-800 snitch line? They will allow Ohio citizens to smoke in their residence? For how long? What's next? What about the business owner that owns an establishment, you know, private property? What about their right to cater to whom ever he or she chooses? I have got a novel idea, let the free market decide where smoking will be allowed. Oh, but we are not that smart. Thank god for the Nanny State!

You company drivers bitch about your crummy pay. Stay with me here... Do you guys have any clue of the financial burden that the government places upon us employers? All of the taxes, fees and regulations that we have to conform to? Before we even cut you guys a paycheck!? Workmans comp insurance is a good example, for every $100 dollars you gross, by law, I have pay to $9 per $100 you earn, before I even cut you your first paycheck! So, if you make $60,000.00 a year, I have to pay $5400.00 a year to an outfit that will fight you every step of the way if you truly do get hurt on the job! Do you have any idea how much private health and disability insurance that would buy you and your family?

Then your taxes, you see $250 a week deduction, I have to match a good portion of that. Unemployment Insurance, it ain't free, 10.6% of my monthly gross payroll right to the state to cover a slacker that is more then able to work. Again, before I even cut your pay check, this has to be paid. Then all of the taxes associated with running each truck. Plates, permits, IFTA, Heavy Road Use Tax, insurance, truck and equipment payments. You all seem to want to drive the latest and greatest, no? And let's not forget fuel. The list goes on and on. And don't get me wrong, I knew this going in, but allot of you guys have know clue what goes on behind the scenes. That is money right out of your pocket!

Why do you think businesses are leaving entire regions of our country, and the country itself! It is because of these stupid laws, rules and regulations, it is on the verge of insanity! And this smoking ban is just another nail in the coffin. Not because of the short term harm to some businesses, but because the voters just gave a little bit more power to the Nanny State.

Ever hear of the EPA, that "anti" group in Washington D.C? What do you think would happen if we were allowed to drill and refine the oil we have in the ground in our country? Ever think of the jobs that all of that activity would produce? A surplus of FUEL? Trucking jobs? Local jobs? Support businesses, new opportunities, etc? Look at the Canadian oil fields to see the possibilities! Hell, the timber industry, how many lost everything over the spotted owl? The anti's struck again!

Well the same bunch that touts this anti oil, anti smoking, anti fat, anti fast food, anti Walmart, anti tobacco, anti trucks, etc. Are the same groups taking money and food off of all our tables. And you guys sing their praises, falling right into the trap. What would you like to ban next? Or vote into your wallet?

Just keep supporting the Nanny State. And just wait until you all get your free health care. I know there are a bunch here that would give anything to vote on that one. But you know what, that will come out of your pocket too, because ain't nothing free! Just hope that you can find an employer that will pay you enough to afford the "Private Supplemental Health Care Insurance" premiums. You will need this so that you can visit a private hospital for immediate treatment and not be financially wiped out.

I could care less if you smoke or not, because this is not about smoking. What I do care about, is an out of control government that dictates to private citizens and privately owned business, how they will conduct their day to day affairs. And the scary part is the fact that many Americans support this fascist behavior.

If this was really about smoking, and health, we would abolish cigarettes all together. But noooooooo, this is a cash cow for the very people that propose and ENFORCE such bans. Billions in tax revenues and hundreds of millions for the lawyers!

Just keep supporting the anti's, it will come back to haunt you. It might just haunt you out of a job, been there done that, and I am still p-ssed. It probably will not be the smoking ban, but whatever else the anti's want to abolish. How about the internal combustion engine? Ever hear of global warming? Don't laugh, there are enough nut jobs out there that could, Git er' Done!

Probably a few here.

 

Valid points. I can sympathize with you to some extent. I am a gun owner and ardent supporter of the Second Amendment. My rights were dumped on left and right by the Clinton administration. :x If the laws that were placed upon gun owners were put to a vote and passed, I think I could stomach the insane laws that were made(no not really). But no, Clinton and his cronies were "protecting us" from ourselves and criminals. After all we all know that criminals go to gun stores and buy their weapons legally right? :roll:

As much as it may really suck for business owners and smokers, the voters have spoken and all importantly voted! There is absolutely NOT ONE person to blame here but the voters of Ohio and they can't be blamed by exercising their right to democracy.

 

Democracy, I hate the word. That is why our founders gave us a Republic, if we could keep it. Don't worry, your gun rights will be on the table soon enough. They are already making a push, as I just heard on the am radio. The 2nd amendment is for "militias", not the citizenry, soon the people will speak. I hope they let us keep our guns, seeing as we do not belong to the official "militia".

Be careful with this democracy stuff, it has never worked any where it has been tried.

The MSM and government schools have done a good job.

 

This topic really belongs in the everything forum.

With that said there are two important questions that every person needs to ask themselves everytime a new law is proposed. Is it really needed and the second question is What's Next?


IMHO, the goverment is a lot like an unruly child. If you give them an inch them will take a mile.

 

The gun control issue with the Democrats is a topic they just as soon forget. They lost many elections on the last couple go arounds in large part due to the NRA. Even influencial Dems have come out and said the voters do not want more gun restrictions. But don't think that I trust them because I DON'T! They very well may try the waters with some smaller scale measures to see what the backlash would be. Right now they have much bigger fish to fry, like Iraq, and the whole middle east for that matter, Bush and trying to go against the Republicans in 2008.

 

Some really good points coming from everyone.
To sum it up.....Uturn said it best... Give them and inch and they take a mile. Thats for damn sure.

 

Each state has thier own tactics to try to get you to quit smoking. When I lived in Michigan the last thing the Republican governor did on his way out the door was to tax the hell out of em. Marlboros went from about 2.80 a pack to $5.00. Free country, yeah right, they also made it illegal to bring back anymore than 2 cartons at a time if you went down to buy cigs were they were still 2.50 a pack, in Indiana. Then I moved to Florida, my homestate, where about 10 years ago the anti-smoking lobby was trying to pass legislation to require restaurants to designate space for a no-smoking section. It was controversial at the time, but the anti-smoking lobby made it clear they only want a portion,( about 30% of total square footage)to be designated no-smoking. Well, in 2003 a law passed outlawing smoking in restaurants altogether. Where does it end? Where does these people come from? They pick on smokers because they only make up 15-20% of the population nowadays and smokers are an easy target for our spineless politicians and lawmakers. They Nazify America in the name of health. I'd like to see him go after the 53+% of Americans who are seriously overweight and obese, and creating a drain on our healthcare system, and not even paying the kind of taxes that a smoker pays to cover it.

 

They have tried "fast food tax" in a state. Can't remember which. Problem is going after the overweight is seen as "insensitive", where smokers are dirty and it is their choice they are killing everyone! Oh by the way, the 2nd hand smoke studies have been made out deliberately to make 2nd hand smoking sound worse than it really is for your health. In fact exposure in a restaurant environment your health risk is negligeable.

 

I dont care if second hand smoke directly effects my health or not. It is a nusance to those that do not smoke. I dont smoke and I hate being around somone who is smoking. Its disgusting, stinks, makes me cough constantly,gets into my hair and clothing making me stink, and burns the crap out of my eyes. Wether ill get cancer from it later down the road is hardly a concern to me at the time somone lights up and blows smoke my way.

If you wanna smoke thats your business, do it outside away from me.

I understand this topic isnt really about smoking its self, more along the lines of government but this is one time Im glad to see a law made.

Just my .02, puff on

 

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