No Smoking in Arkansas With Baby On Board

Arkansas has passed a law that expands on a current anti-smoking law, originally passed in 2006, allowing police to ticket anyone smoking in a vehicle with a child under the age of 14 rather than the previous 6.

The reasoning is primarily the health of children who can be exposed to higher levels of toxins from smoke within a confined car space.

What right minded parents would subject their kids to the harmful contents of cigarette smoke to begin with is my question. The law shouldn't even be necessary. But alas we have stupid and terrible parents.

Will this law improve the health of kids? I would like to see measurable evidence of that.....

So before the right-wing anger junkies proclaim the left-wing pinkos orchestrated a take over of rights, just remember, we have stupid stupid parents that need to be controlled in some ways.


I won't touch the autonomy to make one's own decision about risks to subject a child to since that's a whole different kettle of fish with legal implications too numerous to cover in a blog post.

Fort Smith Food Tax Delicious?

Tax revenues decline, convention traffic declines, overall consumer spending declines, all combined means the Fort Smith convention center loses money.

Real simplistic view of a problem in Fort Smith. They have no money to pay for their convention center.

Apparently this convention center, which are supposed to make money like any other business, needs help.

The response?

In February the Board of Fort Smith proposed a prepared food tax of 1%.

It's a bad idea because the only people hurt will be A) restaurants who'll receive fewer patrons, b) servers who will get fewer tips.

It's also unfair because those who eat out will pay an unfair shar eof the upkeep.

Voters want a chance to have their voice heard. The taxpayers federation is taking the decision before a judge. All in all, sounds like a bad place to find money for a convention center....