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Dear Editor;

     Our local Georgia Senator Don Thomas announced in a front page story in this newspaper that he would introduce new legislation in this session of the General Assembly. In this time of economic turmoil, this legislation will cause small business owners to close. In this time of high unemployment, this legislation will cause people to lose their jobs. In this time of need for higher wages, this legislation will cause employees to make less money. In this time of patriotism and glory in our freedom, this legislation will bring about more government control of businesses, private property and add another nanny law to infringe on individual freedom. In this time of high crime, this legislation will waste the time of our police in enforcing another nanny law. In this time of increased awareness of actual facts, this legislation will be based on lies, propaganda and twisted science. In this time of war against freedom stealers, this legislation will place a Tali-ban on the rights of restaurant owners to decide whether smoking will be allowed on property they own and will tell the citizens of the great State of Georgia that they are too stupid to make their own decisions as to whether they will frequent a smoking or a non-smoking restaurant.

     Senator Thomas has, it seems, been too busy listening to the lies repeated by the very well financed anti-smoking moguls to realize that most citizens have already become aware of the true facts about second hand smoke. Most of us know It has been shown in scientific studies as well as in a court of law that second hand smoke has no relationship to any disease whatsoever.

     Most of us know that a U.S. federal judge, Judge Osteen, has declared the 1992 Environmental Protection Agency report on so-called secondhand smoke "null and void," ruling that the EPA "acted illegally and corrupted science to engage in a campaign of misinformation." We are also aware of similar “fiddling with the facts” in Australia where well funded anti-smoking propagandists were caught deleting unfavorable evidence in passive smoking studies.

     Most of us know that the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently did an exhaustive study and found that second hand smoke caused no problems even among workers who spent whole workdays, everyday, in “smoky” bars and pubs.

     Most of us are now fully aware of restaurants and other businesses going bankrupt due to smoking bans in other cities and states. We also know that when these Tali-bans have been put in effect the tip rate for restaurant and bar workers has dropped by nearly half.

     Since most citizens of Georgia know that second hand smoke, like garlic, cinnamon, air freshener, cooking fish, etc. is nothing more than a smell that some people find to be annoying, but which most people simply ignore, why does Nanny Thomas not know these things? Could it have anything to do with the billions of dollars that were legally stolen from the tobacco companies and that are being paid by the smoking citizens of Georgia and other states? The money that is so lavishly being spent to lobby and elect anti-smoking politicians? The money that is paid by smokers so anti-smokers can tell lies about them?

     One number we constantly hear is how many people die from smoking each year. This number comes from a study where the death rate of wealthy, well educated rural and suburban non-smokers was contrasted with the death rate of poor, inner city, ghetto dwelling smokers. Guess what? It found that “these” smokers had a higher death rate than “these” non-smokers! This higher death rate was blamed on their smoking while ignoring all other factors and the mythical number of 400,000 smoking deaths per year was born. This is simply typical of all the twisted science and outright lies publicized at smokers expense by well paid anti-smoking lobbyists.

     It is now time for business owners to let Senator Thomas know that they do not want more government interference in their business. It is time for smokers to let him know that they do not need government lifestyle control that is based on lies. It is time for non-smokers to let him know that Georgians are too smart to let him steal still more of their individual freedoms. It is time for all citizens to let him know that we need our police out hunting true criminals, we don’t need them turned into “smoke police” while real criminals run rampant. We also don’t need this bill to be brought up in the future.

     The anti-smoker crowd will be calling him to try to protect their 6 and even 7 figure salaries as well as the millions they get to spend to spread lies and corrupt science to the unwary. We, as taxpayers and especially the ones of us who smoke are paying these huge salaries and expense accounts. Just remember that for the anti-smokers it is not about health, it is about wealth, their wealth and our lack of wealth after we pay them! Make sure they are not the only ones calling!

     Our local elected employees have said that they expect this session of the legislature to be quiet with little or no controversy as it is an election year. We need to make sure they know that Senator Thomas’s bill will indeed, cause much controversy and those elected employees who vote for such a freedom stealing, anti-business, job elimination bill can expect to be fired when this year’s election comes up.

     Senator Thomas can be reached at the following phone numbers: At the capitol 404) 656-6436, here at Fax Phone: (706) 259-3991 District Phone: (706) 259-3921. He can be reached by email at: dthomas@legis.state.ga.us and can be reached by mail at:322-A Legislative Office Building / Atlanta , GA 30334 or at: 184 Haig Mill Road / Dalton , GA 30721.