Smoking in WI

In early July of 2010, WI will begin to dictate to business owners how to run their business.  They will become yet another state to take away the rights of a business owner and mandate how small businesses are to be run within the state.  They will now require all workplaces to be smoke-free.

I understand smoking isn’t healthy.  It has its risks, and kills people.  Fine.  Got it.  And of course, people that dont smoke are subject to the same risk by associating with smokers.  Interestingly, you could same the same thing about many other daily activities such as driving a car. Even if you are the best driver in the world, you put yourself at risk each time you climb behind the wheel because there are other bad drivers out there.

It’s bad enough that WI is taxing the hell out of cigarettes.  But now we are planning on running up health care cost by casting out these people into WI winter weather to grind out a butt.  I can’t imagine to many people in FL complaining when thye are relegated to moving to the restaruant outdoor facilities, but I am sure you will then have the non-smokers complain then that they are missing out on premiere seating becasue they have to sit indoors.

The fact is WI NEEDS smokers.  They are currently taxed at such a rate, in an effort to cover the current govenors spending spree, that without the revenue, WI would suffer dire circustances.  If you have any ideas on how to replace the current revenue generated by cigarette smokers, please contact your local representative.

But for refernce, let’s follow the numbers:

• In 2008, 23.1% of men smoked (nationwide)
• In 2008, 18.3% of women smoked (nationwide)
• Average: 20.7% smoked (nationwide)
• Wisconsin population: 5,654,744 (July 2009)
• Wisconsin smokers: 1,170,532
• Tax per pack as of 9/09 in WI: $2.52
• DAILY REVENUE GENERATED BY SMOKERS: $2,949,740
• ANNUAL STATE REVENUE GENERATED BY SMOKERS IN WI: $1,076,655,340

Really…where else can we generate over a billion dollars from people, and on top of that treat them like crap, push them to some hidden corner out by a dumpster, and wonder why they continue to drive up healthe care costs.

But most of all, I feel sorry for all the business owners who have simply lost their option to run their business as they see fit, and cater to a clientele the prefer.

Shameful.