Perhaps Obama Needs To Start Smoking Again

Last night I went to my friendly neighborhood tobacco store- in this case, Riverside Tobacco on West Burnside st. and Southwest 3rd Avenue- to get a pouch of Midnight Tobacco. Imagine the look I had when I got a case of "sticker shock".

In the past, a pouch of Midnight Special set people back a buck-fifty, or even a buck seventy-five. A lot of people on very limited incomes would get this, plus many- such as myself- like to roll our own smoke. Oh, I'm not against the tailor made ones, but rolling reminds me a bit like rolling a joint. It's so fun.

But now, something's gotten in the way- and it's called the federal tobacco tax. And that pouch that once cost me $1.75 has now set me back $4.25- 41% tax increase! Yes, it's the current administration and the anti-smoking lobby's doing, and I expressed a bit of anger about it- though it wasn't targeted at that hottie cashier (she knew that). This is not one of Obama's best choices, and I won't like everything Obama does between now and January 20, 2012- or even January 20, 2016, but in many cases, I'll take it all with a grain of salt- with a lime inside the Corona.

I feel for you folks in New York City, where the pack of cigarettes have probably inched close to ten bucks. The anti-smoking lobbyists really have it in for the smokers, citing health risks. but some of us have pretty damn good genes in our bodies, and yes, a lot of us exercise, too. Smoking is the one vice we feel comfortable with. It's kind of, like, comfort food to us, and now some entities are attempting to take those away from us. Just like they did here in Oregon when, on January 1, those same nanny state cretins down in Salem forced the bars to become smoke-free. What's next? No smoking in our own houses, apartments, or cars? I'm beginning to wonder if the conservative commentators are right, and the United States is becoming a socialist nation. (Okay, it's not. Besides, I never did take Rush and his disciples seriously anyway...).

Now, if you excuse me, I need to light up this snipe...oh, never mind. I just need another smoke. I'm having a nicotine fit, baby!

Copyright 2009 by Darren W. Alexander
All Rights Reserved.