Bipartisan Big Government at it again.

Here's the usual definition of bipartisanship. Both parties get together, come up with a scheme, and screw over the people and take away our freedoms. That's the case on the horizon here with the smoking ban issue. Big government statists are at it again.

From Gannett via the Argus

Senate Republicans will take another stab at prohibiting smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars. But whether to exempt Detroit's casinos remains a key question.

"It's time to get it moving," said Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, who is prodding fellow Senate Republicans with a compromise.

That plan would ban smoking in all public places, but possibly allow it to some extent at the Detroit casino on gaming floors, as well as in cigar bars. Smoking would be banned at the Detroit casino restaurants and hotels, possibly answering concerns of bar owners about giving a competitive advantage to the casinos.

Thanks Jelinek for once again moving Republicans away from our less government roots. The simplified version is that democrats are generally in favor for the ban, but want the Detroit casinos exempted. The Republicans are mostly against this, but if it is to be done, no exceptions. Both of those should be shot down.

Instead of no exceptions or few exceptions, how about a business choice exception. That's what we have now and it works. Most places right now are non-smoking. Almost all business are non-smoking. Few allow it.

The big fight here is over restaurants. Some allow smoking and some don't. That's currently the owner's decision and that is how it should be. There are some places in Brighton and Howell that do not allow smoking. That is their choice. Copper Pickle, Stillwater, and Brighton Bar and Grill do not allow smoking. These are privately owned establishments that made their own decision to ban smoking. They did it the right way.

It's crap like this that makes me want to take up smoking. I'm tempted to light a giant cigarette with the worst flavor possible as a middle finger to this. We can start in the offices of Jelinek and Basham.

More big government by the democrats

It's stuff like that that makes me want to take up smoking just as a middle finger to big government.


From the AP

An outright ban on smoking in workplaces -- restaurants and bars included -- was approved by the House on Wednesday, giving anti-smoking activists their biggest victory in the Capitol so far.

Smoking would still be allowed in casinos, cigar bars, horse racetracks and bingo halls, under the legislation.

The bill faces opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate, where restaurant owners and other opponents are certain to try to kill it.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has said she would support a workplace smoking ban.

The 56-46 House vote was the result of months of hearings and lobbying by anti-smoking groups who argued that second-hand smoke is a health hazard.

If smoking is so damn bad for you that government can not allow PRIVATE businesses to make a choice whether to allow it in their places far away from the people's republic of Lansing - than ban the damn things altogether. I oppose that as well, but I could respect that decision. This is just another instance of big government claiming to know best in how to regulate another person's privately owned business. With the way government is running their own ship and tax policies, we don't need their "help" in doing so.

As far as smoking itself goes, there are places here in Livingston County which do not allow smoking. The Copper Pickle banned it completely. That is their choice, and they should be entitled to make their choice. Other places rely on smokers for their business. That should be their choice at the same time. In fact this ban hurts existing smoke free places, as that is a niche they can use in their marketing.

The big government statists here aren't pushing to ban smoking in public buildings. That's already the case for the most part. Public buildings are government buildings. The statists are pushing to tell what private business are allowed to do on their own property. That's not right, and the senate needs to kill this turkey of a bill and keep the goon squads off the backs of private businesses.

More Lansing Big Government assailing property right

Once again, big government statists lead by democrats are assulting property rights.

The mother and son from Ferndale want smoking to be banned in Michigan restaurants, bars and workplaces. And on Tuesday, they will get their chance to speak directly with state lawmakers, who have scheduled a rare hearing on legislation before the House Commerce Committee that would do just that.

Similar bills proposed in the last seven years got just one hearing — in 2004 — and never received a vote when the Legislature was controlled by Republicans. But now Democrats lead the House, bringing hope to health groups and other supporters of a statewide smoking ban.

The Democratic-sponsored legislation is opposed by the Michigan Restaurant Association and Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, which say eateries and bars should be free to decide whether to allow smoking based on free-market competition without intrusion from the government.

The restaurant group's spokesman, Andy Deloney, says the number of smokefree restaurants and taverns has nearly doubled since 1998 — evidence that eateries already are responding to customers who prefer smokefree atmospheres.

"All we're saying is why have the state step in when people are very able to make decisions for themselves," Deloney says. "We're talking about privately owned establishments. They don't take very kindly to someone saying, 'You know what? I don't like the way you're running your business.'"

I don't smoke ciggarettes, and I am asthmatic. I want to get that across before anything else here. This is not an issue of whether I am pro or anti smoking. I'm neutral there. This is about property rights and the rights of owners to decide what they can allow in their PRIVATE estabishments.

There are places here in Livingston County which do not allow smoking. The Copper Pickle banned it completely. That is their choice, and they should be entitled to make their choice. Other places rely on smokers for their business. That should be their choice at the same time. In fact this ban hurts existing smoke free places, as that is a niche they can use in their marketing.

Lastly, the big government statists here aren't pushing to ban smoking in public buildings. That's already the case for the most part. Public buildings are government buildings. The statists are pushing to tell what private business are allowed to do on their own property. That's not right, and I oppose these bills for that reason.

Bipartisanship = bigger government and less freedom

At least that's how it appears to me today. Two new pushes for big government leftism is on the way. One deals with smoking, and the other deals in censorship.

First - Smoking. Ted "drive off the bridge" Kennedy and the king of fascists himself, Henry Waxman, along with Tom Davis and John Cornyn are pushing to increase the power of unelected bureaucrats over tobacco.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced legislation Thursday that would give the FDA the same authority over cigarettes and other tobacco products that it already has over countless other consumer products.

"Congress cannot in good conscience allow the federal agency most responsible for protecting the public health to remain powerless to deal with the enormous risks of tobacco, the most deadly of all consumer products," Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., said in introducing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act with Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, and Reps. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., and Tom Davis, R-Va.

This is a horse manure measure. It has no positive benefits whatsoever. We all know that smoking is dangerous. It is illegal for minors to smoke. There are warning labels on ciggy packs. It has been known for 40 years that smoking has a strong coorelation to cancer. This is no secret. People still make the choice to smoke or not smoke based on that information. How is increasing more government regulations going to help? If tobacco is so bad - ban it (at the state level to conform with the 10th amendment). Until then, shut the hell up with the grandstanding and chicken@##@ measures. Put up or shut up.

The other bipartisan measure is big government censorship being pushed by one democrat and one republican at the FCC - home of unelected bureaucrats.

"In general, what the commission's report says is that there is strong evidence that shows violent media can have an impact on children's behavior and there are some things that can be done about it," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said Thursday.

The issue is bipartisan. Martin, a Republican, gave a joint interview to The Associated Press with Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps.

"The pressure to do something on this is building right now," Copps said, noting that TV violence comes up regularly during media ownership hearings he conducts across the country. "People really feel strongly about this issue all across this land. This is not a red state or a blue state issue."

The report also suggests that cable and satellite TV could be subjected to an "a la carte" regime that would let viewers choose their channels, a measure long supported by Martin.

"We can't just deal with the three or four broadcast channels — we have to be looking at what's on cable as well" Martin said.

It's called an on/off switch. Let's use it.

Are hockey games going to be censored? They have fights and people hitting each other with sticks. What about the UFC? John McCain tried to ban it once. Boxing? Kickboxing? What about the A-Team? They have (gasp) shootings on that show. This is a major can of worms.

I have a better idea. Disband the FCC's content regulation division.

From the "you gotta be s#@*ing me" file

Well it's been less than three month into the new session and one member of Congress (or his staff) called the cops on another congressman....for get this..smoking a cigar in his own office.

From "The Hill"

This is how it all went down. On Wednesday evening, around 6 p.m., Tancredo was preparing for his trip to Mississippi. And as he so often does, he was unwinding with a cigar.

Soon enough, however, a police officer walked in to check on the smoke. The officer told Tancredo that the officer came because he was required to do so and not because the officer wanted to. The officer had already told Ellison that Tancredo was permitted to smoke in his office. The visit was more a formality.

Tancredo said he would not stop smoking in his office. “Heck, no!” he said. “If he [Ellison] would have [had] the courtesy to say something I’m sure I would have been more accommodating to his wishes.”

To help keep his office free of impurities, Tancredo has three air purifiers. And he has no plans to meet Ellison anytime soon. “I’m sure we will, but I’m not going to make a point [of it],” the presidential hopeful said, adding that he supported Ellison’s right to be sworn in with the Quran.

Excuse the language, but Keith Ellison and Rick Jauert are a couple of weak, whiny, little bitches. I'm sure the capitol police had much better things to do on their time than to be forced to deal with a case of (GASP) cigar smoking. If it was a problem, does it take any effort to go the office next door instead of calling the cops?

No wonder DC is such a mess.