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.
you’d be surprised how expensive those voice things are that you’re going to need after they remove your larynx. talking like robot and all.
“Let me know how that works for you while you wait for your stockbroker to come rescue you from your burning house.”
SNAP!!!
SNAP!!!
SNAP!!!
rob,
end of life care for lung cancer is mind boggling expensive. I doubt very few people pay that much in taxes. You have to be in top bracket.
“she paid taxes too, enough to pay for her own damn smoking related diseases if she happens to get them. when i die of probable lung cancer i will have had paid enough in taxes to pay for my care. also since i pay taxes for crotchfruit denention centers, eh, i mean public schools, this argument holds even less water.”
WTF are you talking about? since when do taxes pay for health insurance for non government employees? Rob, are you a government employee?
and are you suggesting tax money be put towards medical care for people who gave themselves cancer through smoking as opposed to pay for public schools? huh?@!
the point is not who is braver that who or whatever, the point is people getting taxpayer money to do absolutely fucking nothing. why instead of being retired can’t this woman work a desk job as a dispatcher, be a crossing guard, become a meter maid, work for the department of corrections or the courts or ANYTHING OTHER THAN SITTING AROUND SMOKING AND COLLECTING FREE MONEY!
and the whole thing about “cops take bullets for us” is such bullshit. that is an assumed risk when you take the job so you can not use it as an excuse for the rest of your retired at 46 life! an no one is suggesting to take away their benefits, we are just suggesting THEY CONTINUE TO WORK FOR THEM AND CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING TO SOCIETY other than home grown tobacco.
quote:
At least the taxes collected may help pay for her Emphysema care down the road. Not the collective tax payers have to pay for her habit.
im tired of this stupid argument. she paid taxes too, enough to pay for her own damn smoking related diseases if she happens to get them. when i die of probable lung cancer i will have had paid enough in taxes to pay for my care. also since i pay taxes for crotchfruit denention centers, eh, i mean public schools, this argument holds even less water.
*rob*
FSRG- there is no question that civilians were helping each other- as I said, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of them were heroes. That isn’t the point. Cops and firefighters go to work every day knowing there is a possibility they will put themselves in danger to save lives. Bankers go to work knowing they will make money. Big difference.
And its nice you draw no distinction between cops and firefighters going to work and wall street traders going to work. Let me know how that works for you while you wait for your stockbroker to come rescue you from your burning house.
However- I do agree- 40 is too young for retirement.
At any rate local govt pension obligations will take presedence over education, police/fire protection etc…wonder how many tax payers will stick around for that?
bxgrl – Cwere you in the buildings on 9/11 – do you know how many ‘civilians’ were helping there fellow workers, how many could have gotten out but chose to help? (a task they were no paid, trained, or ‘expected’ to do).
Do the PA cops who died on the plaza when the plane struck deserve less admiration, than the ones who stayed and helped or ran in later – I mean after all – in that case they were “just in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
The whole hero apportioning of tragedy surrounding 9/11 is disgusting (and I wasnt trying to do that) I draw no distinction between people who died simply “going to work” – and thats what the cops and firemen were doing – there jobs
the ultimate point is – retirement w/ a full TAX FREE pension and benefits at age 40 is not justified by the “risk”