Bloomberg's Money vs. Tobacco Bans: What's the Endgame?
Denver's Bloomberg Problem: When "Good Intentions" Buy Elections
Bloomberg's at it again. Sloshing around millions to push his agenda, this time in Denver, trying to save their flavored tobacco ban. Denver campaign to save flavored tobacco ban gets $2.2 million more from Michael Bloomberg $2.2 million more, on top of the nearly $5 million he's already dropped? Give me a break.
It's for the children, of course. Always is. Denver Kids vs. Big Tobacco, the campaign calls itself. Sounds noble, right? Except, let's be real: this ain't about "kids." This is about Bloomberg's crusade, his personal war against anything he deems unhealthy. And he's got the cash to bulldoze anyone who disagrees.
The opposition, "Citizen Power!", gets outspent 9-to-1. 9-to-friggin'-1! They're calling it a David vs. Goliath story. More like David vs. a money-printing, nanny-state cyborg. Are we seriously supposed to believe that local vape shop owners and tobacco companies are the real villains here?
The Illusion of Choice (and the Price Tag)
The ban itself? It's on the ballot as Referendum 310. A "yes" vote keeps the ban, a "no" vote scraps it. Simple enough, right? Except it's never simple when you're dealing with ballot measures designed to confuse the average voter.
They say it's about keeping underage youth from flavored vapes and menthol cigarettes. Okay, I get it. Nobody wants kids hooked on nicotine. But where does it end? Are we gonna ban sugary cereals next? Soda? Should Bloomberg just decide what we're all allowed to consume? I swear, it's like living in some dystopian future where one rich guy gets to micromanage everyone's lives.
And what about the independent retailers? The ones who rely on these sales to stay afloat? "Citizen Power!" says the ban will hurt them, reduce tax revenue, and prevent adults from making their own choices. Seems reasonable to me. Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one here.
The FBI Jet, the Musician, and the Purge
Meanwhile, in other news, the FBI's having a good old-fashioned internal meltdown. Director Kash Patel is apparently throwing a hissy fit because people noticed he was using an FBI jet to see his girlfriend, a country music artist, perform. Seriously?
So, naturally, heads are rolling. Steven Palmer, the guy overseeing aviation, got the boot. Third head of the critical incident response group to be fired or removed under Patel. Sounds like a stable, well-managed organization, right?
The official story is that Palmer needed to resign or be fired, and it was "partially connected" to Patel's fury over the media attention. Partially connected? That's like saying a hurricane is "partially connected" to a bit of wind. FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use
They expect us to believe this nonsense, and honestly... I'm starting to think the whole damn system is rigged. One minute, you're fighting Big Tobacco with Bloomberg's millions; the next, you're getting fired for knowing too much about your boss's travel schedule.
So, What's the Real Story?
It's all about power and control. Bloomberg wants to control what we consume, and Patel wants to control the narrative around his own questionable behavior. And the rest of us? We're just pawns in their little games. The sooner we realize that, the better.