By: LARRY D. ALLISON
Mr. Allen lives in Costa Mesa

The governments curious position guarantees higher taxes and yet allows
higher perpack prices for tobacco companies.

Let me get this straight. Bill Clinton and our benevolent liberal
Democratic leaders want to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by as much
as $1 to $1.50 per pack. And this is a good thing because the price
increase will discourage teenagers from smoking?

But, the evil tobacco companies, under this extortionist agreement, may be
able to raise prices without the threat of antitrust law violations. And
this is a bad thing because their motive for raising the price of
cigarettes is profit oriented?

Doesn't the price go up under both scenarios? Doesn't the second scenario
save the feds from the nasty connotations associated with (oh, I'm gonna
say it) tax hikes?

While people have a right to breath the cleanest air possible in their
homes and, arguably, all public places, they should be reminded that bars,
restaurants, bowling alleys, airplanes and, yes, even office buildings, are
not, I repeat, are not, public places. They are, in fact, private property
that the owner has allowed to be opened to the public, presumably to cater
to one or more segments of the populace for the express purpose of making a
profit.

I support a requirement to have adequate notice posted alerting all
persons, both employees and patrons, that smoking is permitted. Should one
have a problem with the owners allowing smoking in their establishment, one
has the right to refuse to work there or patronize said establishment. That
person should take his business somewhere where the owners will provide the
environment in which he will be comfortable, create his own business where
he can decide to whom he will cater, or stay home and shut up.

Think for a moment. People do not have the right, in the freest country in
the world, to start an airline company to cater to smokers, even if they
provide identical flight schedules for nonsmoking flights. Seems rather
contradictory, doesn't it? Americans, please study the Constitution and
please realize that it was drafted to limit government intervention in our
lives, not give government control over every aspect of our lives. As for
me, I think I'll abandon the GOP and Independents and reregister as a
Libertarian.

Before I go, I want to put our government on notice:

To federal, state and local governments: When you enter into settlement
agreements with the tobacco companies on my behalf, you are alleging the
authority to do so. Asserting this authority, you take on the
responsibilities associated with it. Should I suffer any ill effects from
my 30 years of smoking, I fully expect the federal government to take care
of me because I am a victim who can not reasonably be expected to be held
responsible for my own actions.

Furthermore, I name you as a coconspirator who has for many years accepted
payoffs from this evil industry through federal, state, income, road and
excise tax (to name only a few). You further aggravated my condition and
my addiction by subsidizing the industry and by furnishing this addictive
substance to me at a cheap price while I was in the Army (And, by the way,
I was still a minor at that time, having enlisted at 17. And here's
something Bill Clinton may not know: KRations (meals packaged for the
field at absolutely no cost to the smoker).

Oh, I almost forgot, my children may have suffered ill effects from
secondhand smoke. Be advised that you may also be liable for any adverse
effects on them due to your failure to act responsibly and regulate this
drug. Oh, the wife just reminded me of the smoke residue in the house.
Please contact my wife to schedule cleaning and other interior repairs.
Also, please note that I have not said anything bad about the IRS. So I
should not be audited, should I?