"basskisser" wrote in message
ups.com...

Calif Bill wrote:
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
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"Calif Bill" wrote in message
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"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in message
...
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 04:02:38 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:

If you going to smoke, smoke an Altria brand. Filthy habit, but I
enjoy the dividends.

Filthy habits are drinking to excess and endangering innocent lives.

I'd be willing to bet that drinking alcohol kills a hell of a lot
more
people than cigars do.
Tom,
As a former smoker I always thought smoking was an enjoyable, filthy,
unhealthy habit. I understood non smokers who did not want to smell
or
inhale 2nd hand smoke. Since the mid 80's I only smoked outside and
tried to make sure it was not blowing towards non smokers.

Even if 2nd hand smoke was not proven to unhealthy, the smell alone
is
offensive to non cigar smokers, even cigarette smokers.


Even if smoking is deadly, it is a free choice item. I can and do
enjoy
it being banned from the workplace and bars and dining establishments
here in California. But this is supposed to be a free country. If
you
want to smoke in your house, or car, you should be able to. Ballot
measure this election to put a $2.60 tax per pack of ciggies. F'n do
gooders. They say it will cut smoking, and 80% will go to hospitals
for
payment of healthcare costs. It is still some fanatic group enforcing
their mores on another group. Short Wave is a health care basket case
from what I understand, but it is his choice to smoke. I used to race
cars, also can be unhealthy, but it is still an action of free (well
expensive) choice.


Here (NY), when the tax jumped in a big way, the two major
manufacturers
apparently had enough room in their margins to whack the price. They're
still about five bucks a pack. Predictions were around seven. Never
happened.


But is not right for the government to decide to control some behaviors
via
taxation while favoring others.

Why? Smokers take a huge amount of money from the government when they
get sick and cancerous because many many smokers can not afford
healthcare.


And lots of smokers are fully employed. And have insurance, which factors
in smoking in rates. Lots of poor, uninsured, unemployed are morbidly obese
(only in America) should we tax fat?