I quit.

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Epitome of stupidity = WI Governor Doyle and WI legislature.

Back in March 2009, I blogged about Wisconsin raising cigarette taxes and its efforts to ban smoking within indoor facilities. Since then, the Wisconsin legislature has passed the smoking ban, which will take effect on July 5 of this year.

But will it? According to the April 29 edition of The Shepherd Express, Milwaukee's alternative newspaper, there might be a slight loophole - actually two loopholes. One loophole was fixed last week but one apparently still remains.

After the correction (according to the bill), The Shepherd Express states:

...if there are two or more walls with windows that cover more than one quarter of the wall's surface, and those windows are open, then smokers are free to light up.
Thanks, Wisconsin legislature. I still think the bill is bullshit. I don't understand how the government can tell the owner of any establishment how to run his or her business. If non-smokers don't like the smoke, go somewhere else. There are probably plenty of non-smoking business owners who have smoke-free establishments. If employees are bothered by the smoke, work someplace else. Can I come into your home and tell you what to do?

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No public smoking. But we're gonna raise taxes on cigarettes so we can benefit from your addiction.

I laugh every time I read this sort of quote in the newspaper or online, "This is the kind of thing you should do no matter what, because it is going to lower health care costs," stated Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smokefree Wisconsin.

At the same time, Wisconsin - like so many other states - is proposing a 75 cent raise in cigarette taxes on top of the 61 cent federal cigarette tax increase - as reported in Tuesday's Wisconsin State Journal - so the state can profit off current smokers. Well...it doesn't say that but, in fact, that's what the state is doing. Sounds bizarre, doesn't it? We want a smoke-free state; we're concerned about second-hand smoke; we want you to quit, but while you're trying to quit we're going to take advantage of your smoking and tax the shit out of you so everyone else can profit from your addiction.

In an article from the Appleton Post-Crescent, "Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle is again pushing is statewide ban on smoking for 2009-2011," Busalacchi stated that even if the state-wide ban doesn't pass, there's a reasonable chance that more cities and communities will pass their own smoking bans. Fine. So why not just let individual cities determine the nature of their own smoking bans?

And the tricky thing about Governor Douche's, I mean, Doyle's proposed smoking ban this time around is that it is being "folded" into a document that directs state spending, so that opponents like the Tavern League of Wisconsin have less of an ability to influence the proposal when it's in the budget, bundled with other items.

The constant struggle of trying to placate one's constituents yet take your constituent's money in order to benefit the state must make it difficult for politicians like Doyle to sleep at night. Or maybe not. Non-smokers bitch about THEIR rights mostly when it concerns second-hand smoke and I see their point. But should smoker's rights be swept under the carpet? Segregate smokers to one corner or a separate room, or ban them altogether from bars and restaurants, shunned like lepers of society, yet reap monetary gain from their addictions? I'm curious where the money raised from taxing cigarettes goes. I understand Wisconsin paid out nearly $480 million in Medicaid costs last year related to smoking. OK - why can't taxes raised from cigarettes be earmarked to offset money paid out by Medicaid for smoking-related expenses as long as it is proven the expenses are DIRECTLY RELATED to smoking?

Smokers are told their sick because they knowingly pollute their body with tar and nicotine and other cancer-causing agents. Isn't taking advantage of a smoker's addiction just as sick?

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Obama smokes. BFD.

President Obama smokes. Or is trying to quit. Or is a closet smoker. Social smoker. Whatever. The political gossip Web site Wonkette.com has even offered reward money for anyone who can produce a picture of Obama smoking.

I'm assuming being the leader of the free world has its pressures. If the man chooses to smoke a ciggie to offset those pressures, who are you or I to question him? Getting the job done - THAT'S where my attention would be focused.

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LOST "The Journey IS the Destination" series post: Notes from Chuck Nowak, M.D.

This past June, was it, I ran a very, very long series of posts entitled, "The Journey IS the Destination" (you can search them on the very bottom of the right panel under the series' name). Very exciting details of my brother's May trip from WI to CA and all our goings-ons (Santa Barbara, Solstice, Big Sur, Monterey, Sequoia National Forest, etcetera). Some awesome pictures. Here's one in the series I never posted:

We consider Chuck Nowak "family" (like his older siblings - Rick, Bev, Carol, Tom, Greg and Laura) - the youngest in my Uncle Bob's (non-blood) family. And he cares. So when Jason and I found a couple dozen notes tucked away in our convertible while partying at Chuck's sister Laura's home in Buellton, we chuckled. That's Chuck with his girlfriend, Heather, at the Solstice parade Saturday morning.

Maybe we should've taken them more seriously. Thanks, Chuck (and others). Your thoughts are appreciated. Here are the rest of Chuck's (and his accomplices) scribblings:

Isn't it about time - save yourself! Enjoy the rest of your life...Quit Now!
Girls don't want to kiss guys with smokey breath - Quit now before you lose your "P".

If we didn't love you, we couldn't ask you...Quit Now! Save your life!

I love you but the "smoothy" smell's gotta go.

Hey D-bag - your penis will shrink. Quit!!

I love you and hope you're around to take of me when I'm an old lady. So don't smoke and up your ante on a longer life - Love, Aunt Ev

Yuck!

Thanks. But I don't want your fucking kidney.

Smokes causes you to not get it up! Is this what you want?
Hack, Hack, hack. How's the mucus? I don't want to pay for your medicare. Love you.

Smoking increases your chances of finding a lover. Bad news it comes in the form of a fat, biker chick or a man. Truth.

From Gonads, to Nonads. It makes your dick shrivel.

These will cause your small nuts to shrivel even further to Neverland. But M.J. love Neverland.

Do you want to smell the fresh scent of women?

Just look up smokers' lungs on Google images.

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Saturday morning breakfast.

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