Where’s the ACLU?

Smoking is legal in the US. Even though you’d think it wasn’t the way some cities are passing laws. A good example is two cities in California who want to ban smoking in your own home. Where’s the ACLU? Are they too busy sticking their nose in places no one asked them to go?

Lawmakers in two California cities are casting votes this month on unprecedented legislation that would widen a growing voluntary movement by landlords and resident associations to ban smoking inside apartments and condos.

Today in Calabasas, the City Council plans to vote on expanding its anti-smoking law to bar renters from lighting up inside existing apartments. It would exempt current resident smokers until they moved but would require all new buildings with at least 15 units, including condos, to be smoke-free.

Next Tuesday, the City Council of Belmont is scheduled to cast a final vote on a similar measure that won initial approval last week. The ordinance, which applies to apartments and condos, would allow fines and evictions if neighbors complained and smokers didn’t heed warnings.

The legislative push, which has triggered death threats against council members, is a controversial part of a mostly voluntary effort to prod landlords and condo associations to adopt smoke-free policies.

Mostly voluntary. That’s always how it starts. As a suggestion. Then when enough people are following the suggestion, they decide to make it a law. Calabasas has been exceptionally crazy about anti-smoking laws.

Notice they’re going after renters. Because home owners pay property taxes which are a big chunk of a city’s revenues. They don’t want to piss off homeowners. Not until they feel its safe.

A city in California tried banning smoking in every house and that didn’t go well, so they’re doing the phased approach.

Once again, as I point out constantly, they go after smokers now because non-smokers out number them. Next it will be something else. And before you know it they’ll be coming after something you love to do.  We live in an age of intolerance. It seems that when racial and religious bigotry became unacceptable, the haters had to find something else to pick on. “Oh yeah, let’s persecute smokers and fatties!” they cry. Let’s invent some justifications by misinterpreting studies and making bogus standards.

By the way, I am not a smoker. Never have been. But just because I don’t like something means no one else should be able to do it. Not if it’s perfectly legal and brings in huge tax revenues for the state and country. Government is shooting themselves in the foot once again.

What they want is for smokers to buy their cigs, so the government can collect the huge taxes, then go to some sort of smoker’s ghetto to indulge their filthy habit.  Or better, to just throw them in the garbage.
I wish to note that all of the programs funded with tobacco taxes will still require funding as tobacco consumption drops (and like all gov’t programs, they continue to grow, even as tobacco consumption drops).  Guess who’ll have to pay to fund them?  Yup--all the non-smokers who happily voted for more and more extortionate taxes on smokers. 
Nothing like a little schadenfreude to brighten up your day.

Posted by  on  10/04  at  06:59 PM
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