by Shirley Gooding

Created on: August 18, 2009   Last Updated: August 20, 2009

Yes, like most bills of it's ilk emanating from Congress, it goes way too far. These same idiots who want to make it so tough on smokers are the same ones that want this much maligned group to pay for child health care programs as well as early childhood education programs. On the left coast of California, the ultimate Nanny State, officials have decided to raise the taxes yet again for the aforementioned reasons.

What they refuse to acknowledge is that the number of smokers are declining and are a finite source of revenue. What will happen to all these feel good programs when the people who pay for them are no longer around to be used as a cash cow?

I have watched video footage of World War II soldiers being handed cigarettes while boarding a plane to be deployed into a war zone where a mortar shell was more likely to take their lives than a "cancer stick". Cigarettes are given away at most commissaries and there are few stop smoking programs for soldiers or veterans.

Yet government officials claim one reason for raising the price is due to the expense of treating medical conditions related to years of smoking at their encouragement. Congress and indeed state officials need to realize they cannot have it both ways!

Although I am not a smoker I hate to see anyone being exploited as this group is, especially by government officials. There may indeed come a time when smokers and the money they supply for pork programs will cease to exist. When that happens we all must watch our backs as government nannies pick a new bogyman to single out in the name of protection.

We are already required to wear seat belts (except in buses) wear helmets while riding a bike or motorcycle and can no longer savor foods that have been cooked in trans-fats. Soon restaurants with more than 20 brick and mortar franchises will be required to post the calorie count next to each menu item.

Officials with no medical training order parents to have their children inoculated against a myriad of diseases, some sexually transmitted because big drug companies give sizable campaign donations. Government is already drunk with power and I believe there should be a 12 step program to wean them away from such heavy-handed tactics. In the meantime they should just leave these smokers to make their own decisions.

Learn more about this author, Shirley Gooding.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.