Today, the state House voted 75-30 and the state Senate voted 24-13 to ban smoking in workplaces including bars and restaurants.
According to the following LINK, both Senator Nancy Cassis and Representative Hugh Crawford voted in favor of the ban. While I’ve always supported both of them, I’m a bit disappointed by their support for this bill. Note that I’m not and have never been a smoker.
Have they lost faith in the free market system? Do they not believe that bar owners should have the right to decide how to run their business? Why can’t they leave it up to the folks to decide whether they want to be patrons of such establishments? Have they forgotten that we don’t need big Government to babysit us at every turn?
I for one would certainly love to hear their reasoning behind this vote.
I am going to have to disagree with my good friend Willy. I consider my right to live in a world free of second hand smoke to be more sacred then the rights of those who pollute my personal space. Kudo’s to Rep Crawford and Sen Cassis for making Michigan the 38th state to ban smoking in most public places. Perhaps more smokers will consider quiting now that there favorite venues are now off limits.
How dare you disagree with a friend!
Now that I know we’re represented by folks who are willing to occasionally put aside their core principle belief of less government intrusion, I’ll start thinking of something I really don’t like and find offensive, so that I can call them and ask them to intervene.
Tobacco and politicians continue to be very strange bedfellows. If this initiative is successful in cutting smoking, which is doubtful, one wonders when we will hear laments from Lansing regarding the drop in cigarette tax receipts?
Meanwhile Lansing funds initiatives by “borrowing” against future Tobacco legal settlement funds (started in 2005). Just spending the windfall $300 million annually, wasn’t enough. In actual proven programs that curb cigarette use, Michigan is 48th in spending (which was one of the purposes of the Tobacco Settlement).
This is just another chapter in this strange government relationship. And one still wonders . . .
What is more addictive . . . . .
Nicotene to the Smoker ? ? ?
or . . .
Tobacco money to the politician ? ? ?
For those wanting to Light up, you can still smoke in Casinos, even though their revenue is down 1.48% in 2009.
Poor Casinos only had average December revenues of $1.17 million DAILY.
At least the Legislature knows not to mess with that cash cow.