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April 19, 2008
Another Dumb California Law
You may or may not be aware of a new state law that went into effect on January 1, 2008. We were reminded of this a couple days ago, driving west on Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills.
Effective Jan 2008 / No smoking allowed / Inside a vehicle / When a Minor is with youThis is important and effective legislation because -- why?!? It is often laughable how the term "liberal" applies to the California legislature not as a derivative of liberty, but more literally, as the over-zealous tendency to invent superfluous laws of little societal or governmental relevance.
Why not just outlaw cigarettes altogether, or impose a steeper tax. Is there really any point in pulling over a suspected smoker and then carding the passenger all for a total possible fine of $100? Allowing California to fall into deepening deficit (at $8 billion and expected to double) is what should be illegal, not whether or not one smokes cigarettes (or crack or tigerlily extract) in your house, your car, or in the presence of minors.
Really, California, our federal government is helpless enough as it is. Can't we at least be purpose-driven in our own state?
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"It is often laughable how the term "liberal" applies to the California legislature"
Who is referring to the CA legislature as "liberal"? And what exactly are THEY smoking?
California has the same problem that New York has. They both have saturated fat liberals cities that inflate the number of democrats and the appearance of progressiveness.
On the other hand they both have borderline conservative state governments passing as moderate to liberal on certain occasions and that are incapable of passing effective legislation.
http://satiricalmilk.blogspot.com/
I'd be more worried about the loss of liberty since an officer can pull you over while smoking, say he thought he saw a minor in the car, and then proceed to rape you for something else.
it is ironic that -- in this ludicrous two party system -- people conflate progressivism with curbing liberty. Just cuz they hate us for our freedoms doesn't mean we have to be all liberal about legislatin'
it's not to protect minors from being hotboxed in with toxic fumes?
good point, Nikki, but are we really that pathetic that the government must step in because having an infant in the car isn't enough reason to get people to quit or curb their smoking habits?
The question I have is what if you happen to drive through Burbank or Santa Monica with a lit cigarette? Uh oh...
I don't really see the problem. If your main worry is that a cop is going to pull you over claiming they thought they saw a minor and then try to ticket you for something else, you might as well say the same thing about seatbelt laws, littering, any number of things. I admit that I don't generally trust police even though I've only had 1 bad experience out of the 4 times I've had to deal with one, but the answer to worries about corruption and asshole power-crazy cops isn't to just eliminate the laws that they might abuse to harass you.
Andy - Yeah I think some people are so ignorant or careless of their children's well being that somebody has to say, and do, something.
Andy:
uh ... yes.
@desiringmachine and Nikki Bazar
So, we'll have the Gov't step up and make sure to tell us what's good and bad for us... thanks... cuz they always do a GREAT job at that.
Please, oh please, all-knowing and all-seeing government, please tell me what to do next!
bigbad - it's the function of government to step in and protect people from things they can't protect themselves from as individuals. you're welcome to take off your seat belt and run a few stop signs if it will make you feel less oppressed.
the law says if you are smoking in the car WITH A MINOR- not if you are alone.
The "all-knowing and all-seeing government" is us, through our representatives.
And do you disagree with the "all-knowing and all-seeing government" that smoking with a kid in the car is bad for the kid?
The argument you're making appears to be a libertarian one, but isn't the libertarian maxim that one person's liberty stops where it infringes on that of the next person (I'm sure I misquoted the cliche.) Given the fact that a child has no legal right to do anything about their parent's choice to expose them to smoke in the car, we as a society have decided to protect those who we as a society do not allow to protect themselves. Adults are free to sit in cars and take in as much second-hand smoke as they'd like.