After visiting a hookah bar once, I can imagine how their patrons vote.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1550246.html

6/1/2009 11:18:39 AM

I'm an occasional hookah bar patron -- how do you imagine I vote?

(Oh, and message_topic.aspx?topic=566460)

6/1/2009 11:23:53 AM

Where do I sign to keep these places open?

6/1/2009 11:26:09 AM

Where do I sign to shut these places down?

6/1/2009 11:40:00 AM

Where do I sign to euthanize DeltaBeta?

6/1/2009 11:46:55 AM

LOL

6/1/2009 11:57:07 AM

I don't care for smoking/Hookahs but these anti-smoking laws/tobacco taxes are getting out of hand.

6/1/2009 12:52:15 PM

We're gonna ban firewood soon.

6/1/2009 1:03:35 PM

We are going to ban the burning of firewood but mandate the use of firewood as an energy source because it is a source of bioenergy. Government is skitsophranic.

6/1/2009 1:59:48 PM

As much as I love hookah "bars" I would not be sad if they shut down here because they all suck and the hookah's they use are total shit.

6/1/2009 3:35:13 PM

I would have thought hookah bars clearly fall under the umbrella of cigar bars.

6/1/2009 4:22:11 PM

^They said in the 2nd-to-last draft of the bill, there was a provision that basically gave hookah bars the same exemption as cigar bars, but one of the authors of the bill would have none of that rubbish!

6/1/2009 7:38:17 PM

so are you like the NC GOP's way of getting the youth vote? You go onto message boards and talk up how the party that thinks homosexuals are some bizzare "other" and answers "tax cuts" to every single economic issue is hip and down with the concerns of college voters or, in this case, people who smoke hookahs?

Oh wait, I bet you're another libertarian, right?

6/1/2009 9:09:24 PM

are you talking to me?

6/1/2009 9:37:16 PM

Quote :

"DeltaBeta All American 3297 Posts user info edit post Where do I sign to shut these places down? 6/1/2009 11:40:00 AM"

6/1/2009 9:44:22 PM

Why would anyone want to shut down hookah bars?

6/1/2009 9:55:46 PM

Slightly off topic, but between the steady march to drive tobacco out from public on one end and the march to legalize weed on the other, I wonder where in the middle the two vices will meet? At this rate, would a marijuana club have to file as a "Cigar Bar" when its finally legalized? Will weed be prohibited to smoking inside one's own home?

Quote :

"Why would anyone want to shut down hookah bars?"

For drug activists, perhaps it reminds them too much of our friend Mr. Weed. For the health crusaders, its just another evil tobacco product that must be snuffed out. For others, its just a casualty of the culture wars.

6/1/2009 10:25:01 PM

This is one of the biggest problems I have with the anti-smoking legislation. The Lung Society is taking the intent of the legislation, anti-second hand smoke, and trying to do anti-tobacco policy. The Lung Society lobbyist lobbied against the the exemption on the premise that hookah bars promote smoking in college towns.

If the true intent is to stop people from smoking then ban tobacco, but methinks no one will go for that.

6/1/2009 10:33:54 PM

Quote :

"marijuana...when its finally legalized"

lol

6/1/2009 10:34:34 PM

loeffingl. Governmental policy has spent too much time telling us that marijuana is just as dangerous as drugs like cocaine and heroin to legalize the substance.

6/1/2009 10:36:06 PM

Quote :

"are you talking to me?"

i doubt they'd hire a former stoner-turned-daddy's IT guy

6/1/2009 11:24:20 PM

^
What's your problem? Did TreeTwista10 piss in your cornflakes?

6/2/2009 12:20:48 AM

Quote :

"so are you like the NC GOP's way of getting the youth vote? You go onto message boards and talk up how the party that thinks homosexuals are some bizzare "other" and answers "tax cuts" to every single economic issue is hip and down with the concerns of college voters or, in this case, people who smoke hookahs?"

They should just take a page out of the North Carolina Democratic Party book and hold a vote on the issue when people that oppose the bill are either out sick or on their honeymoon. Far more effective than a tww grassroots campaign.

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 8:47 AM. Reason : -]

6/2/2009 8:43:06 AM

Quote :

"Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, a Democrat from Carrboro, tried to persuade a colleague in the state Senate to make an exemption for hookah bars before the ban was approved last month. But the bill sponsor would not go along with the proposal because of the health hazards the bars pose for young smokers. "

Surprise Surprise its the mutha fuckin GOP conservatives that are more concerned about using the NC gov't to be our nanny not the whiny liberal democrat crowd.

Would not be surprised if the bill sponsor is a GOP of the Evangelist crowd and did not respond kindly to this proposition since these businesses support unamerican heretic culture of a non-christian background. We all know college kids or even young adults having fun pisses off old cranky politicians Christian Conservative politicians

Quote :

"I don't care for smoking/Hookahs but these anti-smoking laws/tobacco taxes are getting out of hand."

Yeah no shit. If i want to smoke and die of lung cancer or emphyzima this is my own damn fucking business.

Don't forget campus smokers you must be 30 ft from any campus building; this way the wolfline busses can hit you which is safer than smoking. We would hate for some nerd walking out of Harrelson to have their mangina dry up at the slightest hint of smoke

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 9:17 AM. Reason : aa]

6/2/2009 9:12:23 AM

You guys should go do some research on why the bar scene on Hillsborough tanked in the 1980s.

6/2/2009 9:37:25 AM

^why dont you just tell us



oh wait does it have to do with a shitty NC legislator, or does it have to do with a shitty Raleigh city council?

6/2/2009 9:49:34 AM

^^^Actually, the bill sponsor is a Lexington Democrat. It was passed by the Democrat majority and then signed by our Democrat Governor.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1526630.html
http://projects.newsobserver.com/tags/hugh_holliman

pwnt?

6/2/2009 10:17:10 AM

Quote :

"why dont you just tell us"

no

6/2/2009 10:21:45 AM

^^ Bingo. This shit brings my piss to a boil. I guess I can understand to a point the government telling restaurant and bar owners that people can't smoke there since people go there to eat and drink and not necessarily to smoke, and these places are making money from the food and drink. But telling a business where you only go to smoke that they can't do it because you believe its best for everyone, now that's some serious bullshit.

And for them to do this to small business owners in this economy is another thing. Fuck these government elitists. If you are going to mandate that you can't smoke at a place like this then just make tobacco illegal already.

oh and

Quote :

"As much as I love hookah "bars" I would not be sad if they shut down here because they all suck and the hookah's they use are total shit."

have you been to Hookah bliss? They do an incredible job with the hookahs. Also they have an awesome beer selection at really great prices. I definitely recommend that place (even if it is in Chapel Hill).

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 10:41 AM. Reason : .]

6/2/2009 10:39:25 AM

Is not there some type of classification change when a place goes from making 50% of revnues from food to alcohol sales?

There is no reason the gov't should step in to ban smoking at the so called "private clubs" if members willingly choose to visit or employees willingly choose to be employed in such smoking environment. In this situation I'd sign my name to the "members" list and pay my $1 fee the next time i visit the hookah bar.

but OH NO THINK OF THE CHILDREN WE COULD NEVER LET SUCH LOOPHOLE IN OUR CIVILIZED SOCIETY

6/2/2009 11:27:49 AM

Welcome to conservatism*.

6/2/2009 11:45:39 AM

lol

each side has it's grubby hands all up in the lives of private citizens

let's not even bring up the "war on drugs"

which is a TOTAL smoking ban

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 11:48 AM. Reason : +]

6/2/2009 11:48:17 AM

6/2/2009 11:52:42 AM

6/2/2009 11:53:35 AM

^^ I've always had some conservative tendancies at least on economic issues.

In your context though "Conservatives" in general are just as bad if not worst than liberals about legislating "nanny laws"

Liberal "nanny" laws usually though contain some logic and theortically are for the common "good" even if in reality they do not work out so cut and dry.

Conservative "nanny" laws tend to be based on legislating morality and christian ideals more so than logical reasonings and/or have some hidden corporate interest. (i.e lets ban pot smoking since the bible says its bad; and we'd hate for big pharma to take a hit when people choose to smoke up instead of buying perscription drugs.)

6/2/2009 11:55:46 AM

^^I know right, personal responsibility is ridiculous

Who do you think these cats voted for?




[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 11:57 AM. Reason : ^]

6/2/2009 11:57:15 AM

^

Quote :

"Who do you think these cats voted for?"

What point do you think you're making? (other than the one that you're prejudiced...)
You don't know anyone's political ideology by the way they sit or dress.

Quote :

"each side has it's grubby hands all up in the lives of private citizens"

This is the problem. Democracy has more than 2 sides.







[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 12:02 PM. Reason : ]

6/2/2009 11:57:18 AM

Quote :

"^^I know right, personal responsibility is ridiculous"

what does that have to do with nancy reagan?

i'm not even sure if you think if people in this thread are agreeing or disagreeing with you

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 12:18 PM. Reason : BUT IT'S ALL GOOD BABY CHILD, I'M JUST IN IT TO WIN IT]

6/2/2009 12:00:53 PM

Nah, I find it humourous that stereotypical patrons of hookah bars are upset that their elected officials are closing them. How'd that straight ticket work out?

(Marko I know you didn't vote straight ticket)

6/2/2009 12:24:09 PM

nvm

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 12:28 PM. Reason : at least the one under me was ok]

6/2/2009 12:27:18 PM

stereotypical patrons of hookah bars are "suspicious looking terrorists types"

and those guys are some of the most ideologically conservative people you've ever met

6/2/2009 12:28:11 PM

lol at that guy moving in on that chick in the hookah bar pic



I mean its just nicotine, they all probably have killer headaches

6/2/2009 12:57:24 PM

^^nice, I see what you did there.

6/2/2009 1:49:20 PM

Quote :

"We are going to ban the burning of firewood but mandate the use of firewood as an energy source because it is a source of bioenergy. Government is skitsophranic."

1.) Ridiculous notion.
2.) Schizophrenic
3.) It does not mean you have dual personalities.

6/2/2009 7:17:12 PM

I don't really understand how this has turned into a party vs party topic, this is just the government taking away personal and business rights by telling us what's good for us and what we're allowed and not allowed to do. Liberals and conservatives are both guilty for this and its still bullshit no matter who the culprit.

Quote :

"Liberal "nanny" laws usually though contain some logic and theortically are for the common "good" even if in reality they do not work out so cut and dry. Conservative "nanny" laws tend to be based on legislating morality and christian ideals more so than logical reasonings and/or have some hidden corporate interest. (i.e lets ban pot smoking since the bible says its bad; and we'd hate for big pharma to take a hit when people choose to smoke up instead of buying perscription drugs.)"

Here you are making a broad generalization of all "nanny" laws and the intentions of the sponsor based on their political party, and I think that's pretty weak. This bill for instance is being put in place by liberals with their supposed intentions being for health reasons and setting a better example for children. However they are still allowing cigar smoking? Tell me how that makes sense for the "greater good."

6/3/2009 4:15:46 PM

thats why in reality it does not make sense, is infeasible, or not economical.

Angry elites will be pissed about their cigar bars closing; and innocent hookah business owners are hurt while providing a product that does not contend with the original intent of the legislation. Not to mention the fact that most people CHOOSE to visit the bars where they know people drink and smoke. Your right though both parties are just as guilty. Liberals whine they my SUV his hurting the environment and that i should not smoke since its bad for MY health. Conservatives bitch that a floppy boob on TV corrupts our youth and marijuana turns minorities into rapists.

6/3/2009 6:04:00 PM

the answer is neither right nor left, it's...liberty :smugface:

6/3/2009 7:23:10 PM

well i don't believe in the 2 party system.

I think a lot of it is a horse and pony show.

A lot of shady shit happens behind the scenes, that many politicians know about, than when someone gets caught with the issue going public; all of a sudden its Shock and Awe with the caught getting burned at the stake.

6/3/2009 9:36:46 PM

This should be an easy fight for the hookah bars to win I think.

I don't know why so many here have a defeatist attitude. The government can only do what its people let it do.

6/4/2009 12:51:46 AM

^ The American people are choosing security over liberty.

6/4/2009 1:59:01 PM