As we continue to wait for Columbia’s smoking ban to take effect at long last, Mayor Bob says the fine for violating it may have to be lowered in keeping with a Supreme Court ruling.
Fine. Whatever. Just don’t delay the ban for another minute. We’ve waited far too long already.
The penalty isn’t important — at least, not to me. I don’t want to punish anybody; I just want clean air.
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While I generally agree with the smoking ban this does illustrate how inefficient government is. Why did the supreme court get involved in this? Seems like this is strictly a local, legislative issue to me.
I wonder how tax exempt charities can use tax exempt funds to hire lobbyists and policital action committees (PACS)
Amen to that, bud! But in South Carolina, the court HAD to get involved, because the Legislature goes so far out of its way to impose bizarre limits on local government.
Remember, the thing that opened the door to Columbia banning smoking at all was a Supreme Court ruling.
The Legislature has in the past FORBIDDEN local governments to ban smoking, and there is such a presumption in this state that local governments don’t have the power to do such things, and will even go out of its way to jump on local governments with both feet if they TRY to do what local voters want, that the ruling was necessary.
Brad, there is no sensible reason for Columbia to tell businesses what type of legal activities they may and may not permit. The Cock ‘N Bull off of Rosewood is proof that a non-smoking bar can be sucessful here. Would I love it if every smoker quit? You bet. Back in the real world, I understand that we can all get along, if only we try. Given that the city has no idea how much revenue it takes in nor how much it spends, I would think that Coble and Company have more important issues to concern themselves than smoking in bars.
Oh, come on. All we are saying … is give smoke a chance. And free enterprise. Let the bar owners make their own rules. Keep the heavy hand of government off our shoulder. Let freedom ring.
And, oh, the irony, it’s the folks who want marijuana legal who’d like tobacco smoke banned, I bet. The social Nazis who tolerate only conformity to their nonconformist trappings. The peaceniks who think fetuscide is just peachy keen fine.
I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
Oh, I just had to let it go
Yes, I just had to let it go.
Anybody got a light? Columbia needs one.
When has Brad ever been bothered by a amoker who refused to put out his cigarette when politely asked to do so?
This is another issue where blue noses get all worked up about what MIGHT happen, and who want Big Sister to take care of it for them, because they lack the social skills.