I love a good rant!

The smoking stormtroopers are here.

From The SmokersClub Forum...

Another Goose Stepping Politician

Illinois lawmaker says raising obese kids should cost parents at tax time

Bigger brains that I warned over and over that when the tobacco taxes dried up politicians would find new and better ways of getting more of our money to control more of our lives.

The face of the latest tax Nazi....and a portly at that.

Senator Shane Cultra (R)

No logic to comments...

Original link went bad, but thanks to The Smoker's Club Forum I found a new link commenting on this issue.

WA lawmakers may ease state's strict smoking ban

When I first read this article there was a comment (now removed) lamenting about the danger to the health of employees from secondhand smoke. Having been a resident of Washington State for over 15 years I can remember life before the 2005 smoking ban. There were some great cigar bars to include The Spar in Olympia. Unfortunately after the smoking ban all these great places either closed up shop or went out of business. I am sure the former employees were thrilled that they no longer had to breath in secondhand smoke.

The exception for cigar bars and tobacconists is just common sense, HOWEVER; paying for the 'privilege' is crap. As for the employee's health - most likely, an employee of a cigar bar or tobacco shop is a smoker of some form of tobacco.

Yes, 'elitist' legislatures were known to frequent The Spar with it's private humidor cabinets and live Jazz music, BUT also average guys like yours truly would go there with an old high school friend for an ale and cigar. Some comments in referring to cigars smokers make it out to be a rich man's pass time. I beg to differ. The Spar had all backgrounds mingling together. Yes, it is hypocritical to allow cigar smoking but not cigarette, but that doesn't mean that cigar smokers should be caricatured as 'fat cats' or elitist.

Being primarily a pipe smoker now, I look forward to having more options for places where my fellow pipe smokers can gather for a pint, a pipe and politics.