Obsessed with clean air, clean water, renewable energy ad nauseum. Who measures up to the elitist idea?
Portland, Oregon is first on the list with the reputation as the nation’s greenest city. Oh yeah? According to a smoker who was recently there it’s neither clean nor happy. Disgruntled smokers at the airport are shoved outside to a dirty little smoking area. It wasn’t clean and the people weren’t happy. After the visitor obtained a smoking room at one of the hotels , a knock on the door and a man entered with a little box to test the air in the room. Portland may claim first position in "greeness" but many would nominate it as first in hysterical hypchondria. The word "green" has now become associated with the word "dictatorial". By God, you’ll do what we say, or else!
Taking third place on this infamous list is none other than Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ah yes, the scent of greatness permeates the air as 60% of workers use public or alternative transportation to get to work. Did anyone ask them if they wanted to do this (or were incentives offered?). Get your ass on a bus or lose your job? Solar systems, greenbelts, car pools and bike paths. Sound like Paradise? Well, it’s not Paradise for the mentally ill housed in Minneapolis. A strict no smoking policy was recently implemented in these institutions which does not even provide for a smoking room. This is in strict contradiction to specialists in mental illness fields, who state that "sudden cessation of smoking exacerbates symptoms of mental illness".
Number seven is New York. We are treated to the statement "New Yorkers use fewer resources and put less pressure on their surroundings than any other city of its size." There are no cities of its size since it is more than twice as big as Los Angeles, the nation’s second largest city. Ask those living on Long Island and Connecticut whether New York’s "carbon footprint" is negligible.
Number eight on the list is San Francisco. And how wonderful it is! Beaches, bike paths and on and on. But wait! We have a correspondent living there who tells us that this picture is just that – a picture. In reality, no opposing voices are ever published in the local anti-smoking rag. No opposing voices are ever heard at council meetings. No opposing voices are ever allowed anywhere. It is, after all the home of Stanton Glantz and his "greenbacks".
Greenbacks buy lots and lots of "green". It’s no surprise that the "greenest" cities on this list are hot beds of smoking bans, intolerance and mass hysteria.
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