Rush Limbaugh Discusses the Calabasas OUTDOOR Smoking Ban - 20 March 2006

[Aaron]

I can't believe I'm breaking this story to CS.
--Aaron

[SIZE=3]http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/dai...dge.guest.html [/SIZE]

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT


RUSH: Story from the Los Angeles Times, "Smoking Ban Moves Outdoors -- Calabasas [California] makes it illegal to light up in public spaces, with fines up to $500. Some residents breathe easier, but others just fume. "As a pioneering public smoking ban went into effect Friday in Calabasas, enforcement came from a higher authority: Mother Nature. A pouring rainstorm snuffed out renegade smokers' cigarettes and sent them scurrying for cover as security guards began issuing warnings at the town's main shopping center.

"'You could get a $500 citation,' one of them advised Danielle Wakely of Westwood as she sat at an outside table at the Calabasas Commons mall and puffed on a Marlboro. A moment earlier, shopper Erit Litvak had bummed a cigarette and a light from Wakely. She listened to the guard's warning with her mouth agape. 'I'm putting it out,' Litvak... exclaimed. 'Am I in trouble?' Calabasas, an upscale suburb perched on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, was generating international attention for what appears to be the nation's first ban on smoking in all outdoor public spaces. Violators can be fined up to $500."

This is being "diplomatically called the 'secondhand smoke control ordinance,'" and they say they're going to phase in "gently" out there. "'We're making it acceptable to ask what has been an uncomfortable question until now: "Would you please put that cigarette out?" We're putting the force of law behind it.' The new rules exempt residences," but for how long? "backyards, balconies and patios unless they are adjacent to common areas, laundry rooms or apartment complex walkways.... Calabasas High School graduate Margo Arnold, 19, said she was only asking for some sort of outdoor smoking controls for the Calabasas Commons mall when she addressed the City Council last June."

Well, she got more than what she asked for. I know that a lot of you are anti-anti-smoking and a lot of you bought into this silly notion of secondhand smoke being deadly, and I know that there are a lot of you out there that just don't like the smell of it, and, frankly, I agree. Cigarette smoke is putrid. I agree totally with you. Cigar smoke is a different matter. Cigar smoke is rich; it is joyful. It adds to the fragrance and aroma of any room where it is taking place. Cigarettes, I agree with you, and I know some of you just have a general either health problem with being around cigarette smokers or an allergy problem or whatever.

You know, I sometimes toy with the idea of moving to California, I like it out there if it weren't for the taxes. The high taxes are the one thing that keep me from moving out there. I've toyed with it ever since I left in '88. I loved it. Every time I go out there I have a great time, but just the thought... But this is even more Draconian because the point is, folks -- to me it has similarities to this eminent domain business going on right now. It's not the place of the government to decide if people can or cannot smoke on private property. To me this really isn't about smoking. It's about government overextending its authority, just like you have the Maryland legislature extorting all businesses now, requiring that businesses of different sizes pay different amounts of their payroll and health care, and if they don't they have to send the balance of what's demanded to the state.

To me, it's just overreach. It's not about smoking. It's about government overextending its authority and doing so knowing full well that a lot of people are going to like it and not stand up to it. It's sort of like the eminent domain fight, until it affects you, I don't care about this. There's a big eminent domain fight going on up in Long Island. The village of North Hills, New York is where one of the greatest golf courses in the country is, Deepdale. My friend Jimmy Dunn puts on a tournament every year. Sandler O'Neill, his firm, lost a lot of people on 9/11. He has a golf tournament up there to raise money for the survivors of those families, and I play in it, and it's just a beautiful place.

It's a private golf course, but last week two lawsuits had to be filed to stop the village of North Hills from seizing Deepdale Country Club. It's private. It's exclusive. It may be -- just so you know -- it may be the wealthiest per capita membership of any golf club in America. That's how exclusive it is. This mayor of the village of North Hills wants to seize this private golf course under eminent domain. The law allows government entities to take private property so long as it's designed for public use and just compensation is provided to the previous owners. Now, the members of Deepdale are upset about this. The mayor is Marvin Natiss, and his stated attention of seizing the course for the exclusive use of the village residents.

The mayor said, "I consider a village golf course and recreational facility for residents a public use."

So they're just going to try to seize this private golf course, this mayor is, under eminent domain, and this is not giving it to developers. It's not what happened at New London, Connecticut. It's not what's happening at other places. This is actually seizing it and keeping it as a golf course, and turning it over to the public. This is strictly class envy here, strictly "get even with the rich and the powerful" and so forth. But I can imagine someone saying, "Rush, it's just a golf course and it's just the rich. Who cares?" Yeah, I know when they came for the golf courses, you don't say anything because you're not a golfer.
Or maybe you are a golfer, and you can't get in, and you want to play there, but you can't because it's so exclusive. So you're going to support the city just running in and taking it over. "Why should I have to play on some ratty public course when there's a perfectly fine private course right over there: manicured fairways, perfect greens." The point is, they won't stay that way once the city takes it over, and I can guarantee you. It's pure government outreach, overreach, overextension, or what have you, in both of these cases. (interruption) That's the whole point.

Snerdley just asked me, "What's the difference in that and what the communists did when they seized private property just for themselves?" It's the same kind of thinking that allows government officials to think they have this power and should exercise it, and it's all rooted in this class envy business. You know, I sent Jimmy Dunn an e-mail. I said, "Save Deepdale." Once this kind of stuff starts, you never know where it's going to stop. So I keep telling you that tax reform -- be it FairTax, which I love, be it the flat tax of Steve Forbes, whatever -- if there's going to be any real reform, it better happen fast because we're getting near the point where the vast majority of wage earners do not pay federal income taxes, and when that happens you're not going to be able to reform anything. When it's a minority of Americans paying federal income taxes, that's the end of reform.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT
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END TRANSCRIPT (Click first link to read entire transcript)

Background
(LA Times: Smoking Ban Moves Outdoors)
(Newsday: Deepdale takeover still on table)

[guinsdan]

What's the difference in that and what the communists did when they seized private property just for themselves?" It's the same kind of thinking that allows government officials to think they have this power and should exercise it, and it's all rooted in this class envy business. You know, I sent Jimmy Dunn an e-mail. I said, "Save Deepdale." Once this kind of stuff starts, you never know where it's going to stop.

So very true...[SIZE="5"]Viva La Resistance![/SIZE]

[Poriggity]

All I know is, they will have to pry my cigar from my cold dead hands if they try to step onto my property that I OWN, and tell me I can't smoke a cigar. m just glad this ban hasn't happened in my city.. I walked around the block today with a lit anejo 48 in hand. It was a great 1.5 hours.
Scott

[Charles]

I'm just wondering how long it will take the People's Republic of Virginia to get around to trying to enact something similar?

[ATLHARP]

I am suprised there hasn't been more resistance to these type of bans. I proclaim a degree of civil disobedience is in order for the residents of Calabasas. I wonder what would happen if you didn't pay the ticket?

ATL

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Poriggity

All I know is, they will have to pry my cigar from my cold dead hands if they try to step onto my property that I OWN, and tell me I can't smoke a cigar. m just glad this ban hasn't happened in my city.. I walked around the block today with a lit anejo 48 in hand. It was a great 1.5 hours.
Scott

They're going to meet my friends Smith & Wesson if they try to tell me I can't smoke a cigar on my own property... I am not a Rush fan, but he is right on a lot of levels with this. The Gov't doesn't have Carte Blanche to any land as it wishes... Highway is one thing, seizing a golf course is another.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Poriggity

All I know is, they will have to pry my cigar from my cold dead hands if they try to step onto my property that I OWN, and tell me I can't smoke a cigar. m just glad this ban hasn't happened in my city.. I walked around the block today with a lit anejo 48 in hand. It was a great 1.5 hours.
Scott

HA! You live in California like I do. Your hands are closer to being pryed open than ever.

On March 17, Calabasas outlawed OUTDOOR smoking.

On April 1, San Francisco will seize all LEGALLY purchased firearms.

April 15 is "Buy A Gun Day"

I became an NRA member and a BOTL largely in reaction to California's increasing fascistic seizure of Constitutional rights.

[(909)]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

They're going to meet my friends Smith & Wesson if they try to tell me I can't smoke a cigar on my own property... I am not a Rush fan, but he is right on a lot of levels with this. The Gov't doesn't have Carte Blanche to any land as it wishes... Highway is one thing, seizing a golf course is another.

C'mon brother!! Are you telling me that you don't like Rush just a little bit?

The Calabasas ban is complete BS. When they try it in my town, I'll go out on the sidewalk and light one up and wait for the cigar police to come and get me.

[carbonbased_al]

Originally Posted by Aaron

I became an NRA member and a BOTL largely in reaction to California's increasing fascistic seizure of Constitutional rights.

I shudder to think what you will do when gay marriage is completly banned...

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

They're going to meet my friends Smith & Wesson if they try to tell me I can't smoke a cigar on my own property... I am not a Rush fan, but he is right on a lot of levels with this. The Gov't doesn't have Carte Blanche to any land as it wishes... Highway is one thing, seizing a golf course is another.

Your Smith & Wesson has no chance because California herfers and shooters are too laid back to protest from what I gather so far.

On April 1, San Francisco will seize all LEGALLY purchased firearms.

There is a Constitutional Amendment that makes gun ownership considerably more sacred than golf course access and cigar rights.


April 15 is "Buy A Gun Day"

Any time except from Friday evening until about an hour past sundown Saturday, if anybody wants to coordinate a protest herf in Calabasas, sign me up.

I'd love to get corporate sponsorship that would turn the event into a true PR event that herfers and civil libertarians enjoy.

An annual [SIZE=6]CAObasas[/SIZE] anyone?
La Aroma de Calabasas?
Punch Gran Calabasas?
Montecristo Club Calabasas?
FonseCalabasas?

Are they going to arrest 60-70 happy herfers?

Anyone want to get a list of Calabasas-based businesses to boycott? That is usually the kind of action that is most effective. Cause one company to lose half a million dollars in business and they'll put on pressure to revoke their local law.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by carbonbased_al

I shudder to think what you will do when gay marriage is completly banned...

Gay marriage was never a right. Neither is polygamy. Neither is marriage between consenting adult siblings.

I'm for government getting out of marriage and education altogether.

Actually, the way California is going, they may MANDATE gay marriage soon -- in which case I'll be just fine in my protest corner.

[rjose]

Originally Posted by Aaron

I'm for government getting out of marriage and education altogether.

I hate to thread jack, but how do you propose to fund an entirely private K-12 education system?

[mosesbotbol]

Find me an f-ing island...

[rjose]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Find me an f-ing island...

If there is an F-ing island find it for me too!

[PaulHag]

Rush Limbaugh is from my home town of Cape Girardeau...
There's a fun fact for you...