Now This is Country Living: Homegrown Tobacco
The Times profiles one Audrey Silk of Marine Park, a retired cop who grows her own tobacco at home and is “the founder of New York City Clash (Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment), a smokers’ rights group.” Although growing your own tobacco for personal consumption is legal, Silk “said that she worried that antismoking advocates…
The Times profiles one Audrey Silk of Marine Park, a retired cop who grows her own tobacco at home and is “the founder of New York City Clash (Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment), a smokers’ rights group.” Although growing your own tobacco for personal consumption is legal, Silk “said that she worried that antismoking advocates and the Bloomberg administration, which pushed to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, would make homegrown tobacco their next target. ‘We fear that the antismokers are so hysterical that if they start finding that people are doing this, they would craft a law to make it illegal,’ Ms. Silk said. ‘I’m waiting for the black helicopters to start flying over my yard.'” Meanwhile, the owner of the Mississippi-based company that provides Silk with seeds “was not surprised to learn that the Golden Seal tobacco had done well in the Brooklyn sunshine” because of the plant’s resiliency.
Now in Brooklyn, Homegrown Tobacco: Local, Rebellious and Tax Free [NY Times]
Photo by Mickki.
“And so do convenience store workers, livery cab drivers, food delivery people, solders and a host of other workers (at a much higher rate than cops too) – none of whom get to retire at 40 SO F’ing WHAT”
As I said, let me know when that convenience store worker/ gas station attendant/ food delivery person/stockbroker etc comes to rescue you from that burning house or attack. That’s F’ing WHAT. (ridiculous to include soldiers in the same group as food delivery people, don’t you think?)
Fsrq, my reasonable and mature comment was aimed at Randi.
Police work is not particularly dangerous, and those pensions are completely out of control.
I’ve done much more dangerous work that police work and never got guaranteed anything.
This is sucking off of the taxpayer’s teats, plain and simple.
Who isnt being reasonable or mature???? I havent called anyone a prick or attacked anyone. I am simply giving FACTS about the relative risk of being a cop or a fireman.
And Bxgrl – I agree about CEO pay – So WHAT! No one is denigrating what cops or firemen do – some people just don’t go the other way and worship what they do either. Its a respectable and sometimes dangerous career and essential to a successful society…if done with dignity and respect (as most do) but it is a job – voluntarily taken on – just like tons of other jobs…it doesnt exempt such people for discussions about what is reasonable pay, retirements and benefits.
Randi brought up the “assumed risk” aspect and rightfully so, it’s not like it’t not part of their training. I don’t think she was denigrating cops in general. Though I can understand how some feel as there is lots of news/reports of abuse(yonkers) with OT/disability and it gets people mad(as they should be).
Unless there is a change in our capitalistic society, CEOs are only responsible to their shareholders.
america’s most dangerous jobs—
http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/25/dangerous-jobs-fishing-lead-careers-cx_mk_0825danger_slide1_11.html?thisSpeed=20000
Farming is more dangerous than cops— So now that she is farming put herself in greater risk. But she smokes — so look at it this way—-probablity of long pension payout diminished. She probably won’t make it to 65.
do you know any cops, randolph? Because they do take bullets…..
And so do convenience store workers, livery cab drivers, food delivery people, solders and a host of other workers (at a much higher rate than cops too) – none of whom get to retire at 40 SO F’ing WHAT
I am glad we have cops and firemen…- but that doesnt mean that they are all heroes (they aint) and it certainly doesnt mean that a ridiculous pension system where they can retire at 40 and IMMEDIATELY receive a TAX-FREE pension and benefits during there prime working years isnt an abomination.
like meghan from charm school says, jealousy is a disease
*rob*
Randi- true- no one gets a free pass, but on the other hand, don’t denigrate the job that cops do because you don’t like their union contract. I find over the top CEO bonuses far more offensive, yet there are many who think their work is more important. We coming on 2+ years of how important their work was.