Fighting the Smoking Ban

[cxxguy]

I have started a FaceBook group for people who want to end the Smoking Ban.  There are several reasons I have chosen to take on this issue:

1) I smoke.  I lived 10 years in Florida.  I hate the cold.  It's cold outside.  I am an individualist.  I am the most important person in my life.

2) If we can get rid of this ban, it will make Libertarians all over the country stand up and take notice.

3) It gives us an opportunity to reach out to non-libertarians who agree with us on one issue, and hopefully some of these people will eventually become full-fledged Libertarians.

4) The MassHoles have handed us a wonderful opportunity, via their attempt to tax sales in our state, to perhaps get our legislature to act as a way of sticking it to Mass.  One option is to frame the issue as an exception to the smoking ban within 5 -- or 25 -- miles of the Mass border.  This is similar to the Mass exemption to their Sunday Liquor Sales ban within 5 miles of the NH border.  Eventually, liquor store owners there demanded the right to sell liquor on sunday all over the state.

5) As an economic stimulus issue.  If we can attract out-of-state smokers to come and eat here, they'll probably stop and spend some money elsewhere.

6) Because it is the right thing to do.

I'd like group members (there is a facebook group, look at the profile of Rich Paul and you'll see NH Warm Smokers as a group), and also introductions to the Porcs who are either sitting politicians, positioned in the media -- any media, or political candidates.  I think we'll need to start this underground, and then blitz the political establishment all at once, before the Nannies can gather their forces.

Also, I'd like input from other people who understand the New Hampshire political system -- how it works (ballot initiatives?  other citizen initiatives), who the players, are, what their motivations are, etc, etc.

[KBCraig]

One option is to frame the issue as an exception to the smoking ban within 5 -- or 25 -- miles of the Mass border.

Make it within 35 miles of any state border.

(A little NH geography joke.  )

[John Edward Mercier]

You can't enter new bills for this session.

From the http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status site by entering tobacco in the title search... you can get the run down on the latest bills.

[dalebert]

I was the 2nd member of the Facebook group after you created it. 

[Fluff and Stuff]

If this doesn't work in 2010, in 2011 try to get smoking allowed in bars that only allow people over 21.  You can still smoke in private clubs in NH.  When the smoking ban passed in TN the only exception (that I know of) was bars that only allowed people over 21.

[Giggan]

I'm not personally aware of any, but are there restaurants in NH which call themselves private clubs that can get around the ban? Think of walking into a restaurant and putting your name on the list...congrats, you're now a member, and now we can avoid statist garbage.

[John Edward Mercier]

No. But there are several private clubs that belong to voluntary and veteran groups.
ELKS. LIONS. Rod & Gun. VFW. American Legion.

[cxxguy]

The private club thing is good for those who just want to smoke, but it does not get us any closer to private property, nor to reversing the black eye the FSP got when the ban was passed.

I really think that we're just going to have to get rid of the ban, or at least move in that direction.