NYC to try banning smoking in parks and beaches

Previously posted 'photo' that I thought appropriate to re-post. :)

Outlaw public smoking? Great idea - wouldn't want all that tobacco smoke competing with the other pollutants in the NYC air.

No end in sight...

Cities Increasingly Turn to 'Trash Police' to Enforce Recycling Laws

The Nanny State continues it goose stepping march right on top of our freedoms. It is like a constant drip and before you know it you are about to drown. In some cities they fine you for smoking in the park, they fine you for smoking on your balcony and now the non-smokers can get a taste of how the Nanny State treats us all like petulant children that refuse to obey them.

How in the world did we get to this place? I need coffee - hopefully 'they' won't come after that next.

Follow the money...

An article caught my attention this morning, Millions of children won't be getting on buses this fall , pointing out the growing homeschooling movement. An interesting thing to watch will be how government, both local and federal, start reacting to this growth.

We didn't start to see a crack down on tobacco until big tobacco, along with state and federal government, noticed that they were losing revenue to mail order and online sales. Now in tight times they are increasingly trying to squeeze more out of the consumer/tax payer.

My guess is once the homeschooling movement hits 10%, teachers unions, along with government at all levels, will take notice to the money they'll be losing as a result. This could come down to being forced to pay a homeschooling fee or taxed for the 'privilege' of educating your own children or even attempts to make it more difficult to opt out of the public education system.

The bottom line is that the home schooler is taking money and power out the 'the system.' Same with the tax fatigued tobacco user. You are taking away 'their' tax money when you buy your smokes at the local Indian Reservation or if you can still legally order tobacco online from your state.

I am not here to advocate for or against homeschooling. Just pointing out that it is a movement that was started and is growing because public schools are a mess in a lot of communities. This is the response.

This pattern repeats when government messes up or oversteps elsewhere. Citizens find a way around the mess. Tax me too much on my tobacco? I'll find an alternate way to get my cigarettes. Prohibit alcohol? We all know that story.

This is about citizens choosing freedom and bureaucrats not liking it.

I would suggest an alternative to going after home schoolers would be to fix public schools and give parents a reason to bring their children back.

Tacoma group pushing for smoke-free apartments

Tacoma group pushing for smoke-free apartments

The only thing that should be the focus is the rights of the property owner. People have a choice to rent an apartment. If the apartment owner deems it better for business, he'll make the decision to go smoke free not some city bureaucrat. The same for pubs and other privately owned businesses. Why in the world are antis pushing for all this now in such a bad economy? I have an answer but I want to be civil.

For non-smokers out there please keep in mind that an attack on property rights in regards to smoking will set precedents for non-smoking issues involving private property. This is about getting your foot in the door and once wedged in there the door is much easier to push open.

Please stop trying to save everyone from themselves my 'anti' friends. Life is hard enough without your self-righteous crusade to free the world of evil tobacco.