The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter: Issue # 257

The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter January 2, 2004 Issue # 257 The Smoker's Club, Inc.
CONTENTS 1. Heroes of 2003 2. Governmental Illness 3. Wet Hair Thoroughly, Apply Shampoo 4. Don't Throw Away Liberty 5. Religious Restrictions or Religious Censorship? 6. Food Fight 7. RFID 8. We Are Everyday People 9. From The Mailbag "We still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping at the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without a tribute." Thomas Paine ------------- Sign up for this newsletter ------------- Attention all business owners suffering from a smoking ban. Please fill out this form To be added to The Facts. ------------- Select Your State For More Information: AL \|AK \|AR \|AZ \|CA \|CO \|CT \|DC \|DE \|FL \|GA \|HI \|ID \|IL \|IN \|IA \|KS \|KY \|LA \|ME \|MD \|MA \|MI \|MN \|MS \|MO \|MT \|NE \|NV \|NH \|NJ \|NM \|NY \| NC \|ND \|OH \|OK \|OR \|PA \|RI \|SC \|SD \|TN \|TX \|UT \|VT \|VA \|WA \|WV \|WI \|WY ------------- Donations Needed ------------- Events ------------- Voters for Fairness and Freedom Sign a petition. ------------- Action Alert ------------- Smoking Studies List ------------- Please send your news items to: info@smokersclub.com ------------- Read this newsletter on a web page ------------- Index of Articles ------------- Clove cigarettes, FREE International delivery! ------------- Cigarettes, USA delivery, No tax or reporting. ------------- The BEST ashtray ever. Get one for your car as well! ------------- The Freedom Smoking Pipe ------------- Get your cigar quotes here, support the newsletter. ------------- Read Joe Bob Briggs Joe Bommarito Joe Dawson Kerry Diotte Cat Farmer Wanda Hamilton Dave Hitt Norman Kjono Warren Klass James Leavey Pierre Lemieux Enoch Ludlow John Luik Rosalind Marimont Michael McFadden Steven Milloy Martha Perske Jacob Sullum Walter Williams Tobacco News From Canada ------------- 2nd Hand Smoke Is Harmless! Smoking Studies List ------------- Comedy © Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.	Heroes of 2003: By Radley Balko. At a 10-hour hearing on the proposed ban, Schwartz repeatedly asked ban proponents to explain why she should trespass on the property rights of local bar and restaurant owners -- her constituents -- at the behest of anti-smoking activists funded by a public health foundation way off in New Jersey. Schwartz introduced alternate legislation offering a tax break to city businesses that go smoke-free, and put the smoking ban idea on life support. Governmental Illness: By Catfarmer. Government serves a popular need for collective self-deception. In government we trust to fleece us and then pull our own stolen wool over our eyes. Wet Hair Thoroughly, Apply Shampoo: By Bob Wallace. Speaking of signs, I would like to see this one on all politicians: I WILL LIE TO YOU AND ROB YOU BLIND, ALL THE WHILE SAYING IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. Don't Throw Away Liberty: By Charley Reese. Probably one of the most chilling statements ever made by a tyrant was Caligula's warning: "Remember, I can do anything to anybody." If we don't take better care of our Constitution, we will find ourselves one day living in a very unfree society, and the result of more than 200 years of blood, sweat and tears by better people will go into the trash can of history. It's bad enough to lose one's liberty; it's even worse to throw it away. Religious Restrictions or Religious Censorship?: Burning the American flag is considered free speech; erecting crosses as roadside memorials is not. Food Fight: By Kelly Jane Torrance. Anti-fat police are ready to bust heads. Busybodies are looking to control one of the most basic of human functions-eating. Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate snack-food and soft-drink marketing. New York state assemblyman Felix Ortiz promotes a draconian "Twinkie tax." At least one person who's had the Bush Administration's ear has bought into the idea that Americans are not accountable for their own weights. RFID: Protect your privacy. Don't buy items that contain tracking devices! We Are Everyday People: Smoke and Mirrors: By Jan Arild Snoen. One of the most persistent myths spread by the anti-globalization movement is that, 'resources move from the poor to the rich, and pollution moves from the rich to the poor'.... AFF Brainwash: Weekly columns and articles. This is True: A weekly syndicated newspaper column by Colorado humorist Randy Cassingham. True reports on bizarre-but-true news items from legitimate newspapers from around the world (never "tabloids"). Heather Crowe: Not 1 Illness nor Death and, No Links Proven to SHS. From The Mailbag: CA: Some cities aren't fired up about no-smoking signs. By Clay Lambert. Peninsula cities refused to post its free signs warning that it is against the law to light up within 25 feet of public playgrounds. FL: Florida Businesses Say Smoking Ban Is Costly. Restaurants, Bars Losing Money To Those Exempt From Ban KY: Smoke ban fight goes to Capitol. 3 State bills filed to forbid local laws. KY: Terry Gray. 2004 candidate for House of Representatives. ME: It's nearly the last gasp for smoking bar patrons. Questions remain about who will enforce the ban after it goes into effect. MS: Jackson smoking ban exempts bars, restaurants. The ordinance prohibits smoking in bingo parlors when a game is in progress, shopping malls, sports arenas and other enclosed structures. It will take effect in 30 to 45 days. NV: Air space. Technical group, casino officials clash over smoking restrictions. By Michelle Swafford. Casino officials say the rules would not only hurt their industry but also could extinguish smoking indoors entirely. WA: Some Tacoma bars, eateries may sue to block smoking ban. By Jeffrey M. Barker. Organized by Jerry Zaspel, owner of Barb's Westgate Inn in Tacoma, about 35 businesses are looking to sue to get an injunction against the ban. WA: Beneath gray skies, a blaze of contrasts. By Susan Paynter. And nothing showed our polka-dotted-ness better than the issue of smoke. Canada: Georgetown, Ontario. Smoking bylaw hurting business, says hotel owner. By Cynthia Gamble. Council refuses to reopen debate. Canada: Appeal Board To Rule On Kenora Smoking Ban. It will be at least another two weeks before the Northwestern Health Unit will know if it can continue enforcing its smoking ban. The provincial Health Services Review Appeal board has told the health unit it may rule on the latter early in the New Year. USA: Another Win For Philip Morris. Capping a string of court victories for Philip Morris this year, a Florida appellate panel tossed out a class-action suit Wednesday over the company's design and marketing of "light" cigarettes. In November, a New Hampshire jury let Philip Morris off the hook in a cancer liability case. In October, a Florida jury shot down a secondhand-smoke claim by a former flight attendant. That marked Philip Morris' fourth legal victory out of six such cases that went to trial in the state. Also in October, the company caught a big break when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an $80 million verdict. A jury had ordered Philip Morris to cough up that sum to family of an Oregonian who died of cancer six years ago. A few days before that ruling, a federal appeals court affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit by private citizens looking for damages under Medicare rules.