Smoking Ban...?

Right, so here in Portland, home of anti-business protesters, bums that smell like rancid ass, some dipshit called Randy Leonard who doesn't believe in the rights of the citizens who live here...we also have to bide by the rules and laws set forth by the braind trust in our state crapitol, Salem.
From Oregon.live:
The Senate approved Senate Bill 571 by an 18-12 vote. The bill now goes to the House, and Gov. Ted Kulongoski has said he supports the legislation. If it becomes law, it would take effect in January 2009. Twenty other states have indoor smoking bans, including Washington and California.
The Democrat-controlled Senate rejected a Republican alternative that would have allowed taverns, bars and bingo halls to continue offering smoking sections.
The approved version of the bill would not allow smoking or "carrying a lighted smoking instrument" in public places or within 10 feet of those places' doors, windows or ventilation intakes. It would still allow smoking in tobacco shops, cigar bars and raceways such as Portland Meadows. It also would allow hotel and motel owners to designate up to 25 percent of their rooms as ones where smoking is allowed.

This is what we call the Nanny State. Basically, our governerment has taken it upon itself to tell us what's good for us. See, in their eyes we are really smart when we vote for them but then something strange happens, shortly after the election, We, The People, get really, really stupid and need our elected officials to run every aspect of our lives. Because THEY know better than we do.
So, this brings us to this ban on smoking in bars and taverns, places KNOWN for their smokey atmosphere.

This is being done under the MISCONCEPTION that second hand smoke is dangerous. People, read this VERY carefully: Second hand smoke is NOT dangerous. Just about the only thing is causes is smelly clothes and watery eyes. There is no solid proof of it's supposed helth effects and no large group of honest scientists will admit to this.
Because it's BULLSHIT.

Look, when I go to the bar I know people are going to be smoking there. I don't need some douch-bag lawmaker to tell me it's going to be smokey and, in their OPINION, bad for my health. I'M GOING TO THE BAR TO DRINK! That's not exactly a healthy thing to do in itself!
The lame argument is also made about the poor workers in these places, they are FORCED to breath in the smoke and it MIGHT damage their health. OK, check this simple fact out: NOONE FORCES A PERSON TO WORK IN A BAR. Profound, isn't it? These assholes need to realize that people who work in a bar KNOW there is going to be smokeing in there. It's part of the business. And those who actually go out and get hired in a bar then bitch about the smoke need to be smacked in the face with a flaming box of smokes.

So, what's next? No drinking in bars because some moron with an over developed sense of healthiness thinks that's a bad habit too? Just stop it, alright?

And what about this...
Smokers are told you can't smoke in ANY public place, you can't smoke in most outside places, you can't smoke near doors, windos or any such place and now they are going to be told you can't smoke in bars...
THEN the same asshols who make these laws are also the ones who want to INCREASE the tax on cigs to pay for 'the health care of children!' Sort of a mixed messege here, right? Basically, you smokers aren't allowed to smoke ANYWHERE, you can't enjoy your habit ANYWHERE without some tightassed neat freak glaring you or doing that annoying *cough* *cough* crap, you are treated like shit everywhere you go BUT you have to pay for the health care of a bunch of brats whose parents are to poor or just plain stupid and don't/won't have health care for their own damned kids.

Something else...
some studies have shown that more low-income people smoke than those with more money. So, basically, all you people out there who think smokers should pay more in taxes to pay for ANYTHING have to also admit that you like taxing the poor.

I should also say that I, myself, am NOT a smoker. Never have been and probably never will be. I just think it's a bunch of bullshit that smokers are treated like shit in this country. I guess we DO have a segment of our population whose rights are not important.

Sad.