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TERRY’S TIDBITS

By Terry Gray

CATEGORICALLY SPEAKING

I had an email exchange with Tom Fitzgerald with the KRC a week ago.  I asked point blank if the KRC had accepted donations from Gordon-Darby, the owners of our great VET testing company.  He assured me, “I can state categorically that neither Gordon-Darby nor any individuals associated with the company are contributors to KRC.”  I believed him until yesterday.

It seems that Mr. Fitzgerald is anything but totally honest when making statements about the VET.  After a judge essentially reinstated the VET a couple of days ago, against the wishes of the citizens, Mr. Fitzgerald made a statement on television that while the VET is not in operation, tons of pollutants are pouring into the air.  His statement is correct on the surface.

I would like to point out that if the VET were in operation, tons of pollutants would still be pouring into the air.  The VET only serves to measure automobile emissions, not stop them.  Mr. Fitzgerald’s statement is a typical statement that speaks the truth while being totally misleading.

A good thing comes from Mr. Fitzgerald’s outspokenness however, identification of a source of pollution that is a plague on this community and this country.  Just be quiet Tom and many people will breathe easier.

 E.P.A. V.E.T. M.O.U.S.E.

The true government of this country, its citizens, is being overrun by a non-elected government entity, the EPA.  I don’t remember voting for anyone working for the EPA and I certainly don’t remember any of our elected leaders asking me if it was okay for the EPA to dictate laws to me and tax me. 

The EPA is a non-legislative branch of government that is making and enforcing laws and directly costing us, the taxpayers, money.  The VET fee may not be called a tax but when I am forced to reach into my pocket to pay for something that the vast majority of our citizens do not want, it sure feels like a tax – without representation.

SPAMMED!

It really isn’t too bad if you fry it, put it on bread and cover it with mayo.  But that’s another story.

The federal government passed a law that was supposed to stop email spam.  I think what the law did was alert all the spammers that Terry Gray is impotent, broke, lonely, fat, and willing to send $5,000 to Nigeria to pay the transfer fees to have millions of dollars credited to his bank account.

Please forward all of your spam to Northup and McConnell.

SMOKING

Hey, remember when I talked about the black market and your kids being criminals and all that stuff?  Well here is a press release for you:  “DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DISMANTLES MASSIVE CIGARETTE SMUGGLING ENTERPRISE.
Largest probe to date involving the smuggling of cigarettes into the United States:  Arrests in 5 states in scheme involving more than 107 million cigarettes.”  January 28, 2004 from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Now before you call the kids in from the streets, I assure you that it isn’t as bad as it seems.  This is typical government hype aimed to do two things:  justify the existence of Homeland Security and overstate the problem.

I have been under the impression that the United States is the biggest supplier of tobacco in the world.  I can’t imagine that there would be a profit in smuggling a product to a country that is wealthy in that same product.

But when I think about it I understand.  Cigarette manufacturers make about 11 cents a pack on cigarettes and the government makes about $1.76.  Bypass the taxing authority, create a criminal activity, get kids involved, and make some money.  It ain’t the smokes or the kids that the feds are concerned about, it’s the moola.

You know how we are told by Smoke Free Louisville that there is no proof of negative economic impacts on markets where smoking has been banned?  Lies, lies, lies, Sergeant Kuntz.  New York City is in such a shambles that they are now offering waivers for any business that has been impacted by smoking bans.  It seems that there is a long waiting list for the waivers because of the number of verified applicants.

Before you say it is sweet of New York City to offer this help, think about who put the zap on the businesses in the first place.  The all-knowing leaders of NYC followed the prescription for outrage and disaster when they listened to Joe Cherner, an anti-smoking advocate in New York and the hero to Smoke Free Louisville’s Mike Kuntz. (I wonder if that hero worship also breeds jealously and hatred.  Hey Mike, Joe is so far up the Nazi ladder that he wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire.  There, I hope that helped.)

Waivers have more a more sinister side than a benevolent side, however.  NYC businesses have been civilly disobedient!  Shame, shame, shame, Sergeant Barowner.  NYC authorities can’t control enforcement, so they are doing what all good administrations do when they have screwed up; they are allowing what they banned but only if they can make money by doing it.

Here’s the deal.  “If you, Mr. Barowner, agree that we have the authority to stop you from conducting the business of free enterprise by signing this little waiver form, we’ll let you conduct business, but it ain’t free.  For the sum of $100 you’ll be able to go back to what you were doing before we got involved with your livelihood.  By the way, we don’t know how much waivers will be after this trial period.”

All the posturing about there being no economic loss associated with smoking bans and now NYC is offering waivers for those being hurt.  I don’t get it.  Well, maybe I do get it.  There are 23,000 eating and drinking establishments in NYC, and, at the tune of $100 each, NYC stands to make $2,300,000 from the get-go.  It also puts the hospitality industry in the position of admitting that anti-smoking organizations have the authority to ruin the industry.  The waiver fee of $100 just puts a little slack in the rope while government and Nazis (Kuntz) work hand-in-hand to tighten the noose on free enterprise and freedom to choose.

I have something to add concerning politics.  I am running for the Kentucky House of Representatives this year.  I’m in District 38 and will take the message of freedom to Frankfort.  For any of you liberal puppies out there that have the guts to read this publication, don’t even associate me with Big Tobacco Interests.  I asked Brown and Williamson for a contribution, and they kindly declined.  I got the feeling that they appreciate the work I’m doing, but, after being fined billions of dollars and being run out of Kentucky, they just feel like Kentucky politics isn’t worth the effort.

Terry Gray

Pardon my honesty.      

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