Election Results — Batting .500+ by Frank Seltzer
Ya win Some…
Well in California it went down to the wire, but fortunately sanity prevailed as voters rejected the tax increase on cigars and cigarettes. With 100 percent reporting, a margin of about 63-thousand votes carried the day to reject the proposed increase in taxes.
There was big money on both sides in the contest. The American Cancer Society reportedly put in over $8 million and Mayor Nanny Bloomberg who lives 3-thousand miles away put in $500k of his money to push the tax increase. Lance Armstrong put his popularity and $1.5 million behind the measure which initially had the support of 67 percent of the voters. But thanks to a strongly funded campaign on our side, the measure ended up failing 50.8% to 49.2%
This was a big win in California.
Money Does Talk
In Springfield, MO, voters there did not repeal the city’s smoking ban.
The vote was 36 percent in favor and 64 percent against. The total vote was just over 19,000. As usual the anti-tobacco group outspent Live Free Springfield by a margin of about 4 to 1. Or they spent about $4 for every yes vote they got. Put another way, Live Free Springfield managed to raise about half of what the American Cancer Society alone put into the antis pockets through small donations.
While Live Free Springfield did not prevail at the ballot box, the group did get an exemption for cigar shops out of the city council before yesterday’s election. But as we mark the anniversary of D-Day, it should be noted that the Veterans of Foreign Wars still cannot smoke at their clubhouse in Springfield.
According to Live Free Springfield’s Facebook page,
“The greatest part of all of our work is knowing that we were on the side of Truth and not spin, of facts and not feelings, of Freedom and Rights and not control and money. That should make you ALL feel good!”
The group’s chairman, Dave Myers, also wrote:
“Well, we did as well as we could. I want to point out that we had close to 3000 LESS votes this time than last time! There is something seriously wrong with that. That being said, don’t give up hope. Remember, the lawsuit is still in Southern District Appeals court and we should hear something by the end of June. There are attempts on the state level, as well.
We have to continue this battle, and that’s exactly what it is. This victory for the left will embolden them. We can’t relax, unfortunately. We must continue to show them we are still here and not sitting down! There are other things coming down for which LFS will be here. Part of my Soldier’s creed is: “I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit!”
In my Army service, I continue to fight to secure our Freedoms abroad. I will also do so in service to LFS and the Springfield community. Please, continue to support us.
Stand for Liberty, stand for Freedom. Stand with Live Free Springfield, and live Free!”
They may be down, but they are not out and they will continue the fight. That is what we need to remember. Take the victories where we can and organize to try to get the $$$ we need to counter American Cancer, American Heart and American Lung’s big money.
If you consider the exemptions Live Free Springfield already got because of its petition push and special election, our batting average might just be .750 which is Hall of Fame for sure.
