NEW YORK (AP) -- New Yorkers have set a record low smoking rate for the state as reports show a slight rise in cigarette smoking nationwide.

A state Health Department spokeswoman said Friday that only 16.8 percent of New York state residents say they smoked in 2008, the lowest adult smoking rate on record for the state. Last year's state smoking rate was 18.9 percent.

The spokeswoman says officials credit the reduced smoking rate on a state cigarette tax hike last year, laws against indoor smoking and a campaign to stop smoking.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey released Thursday showed just under 21 percent of Americans currently smoke cigarettes. That's a slight increase from the 19.8 percent who say they smoked the year before.
 

I have a good idea Guv. Let's give a carton of cigarettes to all school age children. This may encourage them to form a habit, and NY will benefit from the increase of tax money coming in. ( this is sarcasm for those that need an explaination)

The following appeared in today's paper. I am asking anyone with faith and empathy to pray for the young man who passed, his father, and of particular interest to me, we need to pray for Reverend James Renfrew. Jim is a regular on here, and I can't imagine the inner turmoil this gentleman is feeling. While ideal wise, we are on opposite pages, I know Jim to be a good, kind and compassionate man. As a matter of fact, he married my wife and I 6 years ago. Please, let's keep all involved, and their respective families, in our prayers. Thank you.

From the Daily News:

A Holley man was killed when the car he was riding in was broadsided by another car on Route 31A Wednesday night, Orleans County Undersheriff Steven Smith said.

Austin J. Boyd, 19, was a front-seat passenger in a car driven by his father, Ronald Boyd, 50.

Smith said Boyd was driving east on 31A about 9:20 p.m. when a car driven by James R. Renfrew failed to stop at the stop sign on South Holley Road and slammed into the passenger side of his 2002 Saturn.

Austin Boyd was trapped in the car and had to be freed by Clarendon firefighters. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Scott Schmidt.

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Austin was a 2009 graduate of Holley High School. He and his father were returning from a Scouting event.

His father and Renfrew, 55, of Clarendon, were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Smith said.

Smith said Renfrew was north on South Holley Road and failed to stop. It does not appear speed or alcohol were factors but an investigation is continuing, Smith sa

Kind of ironic that ABC news ran this story on Good Morning America. We were just discussing the other day that the president seems to be EVERYWHERE that a camera is turned on. Even more ironic that it's ABC (All Barack Content) that is running this news piece.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obamas-health-care-campaign-publicity/story?id=8588074

As I stated stated several days ago, it is near impossibe to avoid his image on TV, online, or in print. "Omnipresent" is the word used, which sounds rather Orwellian to me. The fact he is trying to do so much, so fast, without regard to future generations, scares me. And this news story just re-affirms what I already knew...this guy is charasmatic, and reads a teleprompter like nobody's business. But take aware the script, and he shows his true colors. "Cambridge police acted stupidly", or calling Kanye West a "jackass", just a couple of examples of speaking before thinking.

I'm sure I'll be called a name or two for pointing this out, especially if you are a young dem guy who has a serious man crush on our president.

Just a friendly reminder for all my fellow Batavian readers....driver's license fees and motor vehicle registration fees increase on Tuesday 9/1/09.  I believe it's like a 20% increase on each. Thanks Governor Dave, someone has to make the hard choices. Nice how it's a tax on people with cars. As if gasoline taxes, thruway tolls, surcharges on insurance weren't enough, now let's hose the constituents upstate some more. Wonderful how the governor isn't hammering the majority of NYC residents, who have no cars. I'm tired of it, and it's time for a change.

While this is a sight that is for Batavia and our community, I would think this sad event would know no boundaries. The loss of two professional firefighters in Buffalo this morning stopped me in my tracks. These upstanding and outstanding citizens went to work, like any other day, and they won't be going home to their families at the end of their shift.

As the son, nephew, grandson and great grandson of paid firemen from the city of Rochester, I know the pride these folks put into what they do. And to do the job so unselfishly, with little regard for themselves, makes a day like today so tragic. Please take a moment to pray for the families of these fallen heroes, then give your kids a hug. And thank God that we have such wonderful individuals in our world willing to do the tough jobs. God bless the Buffalo FD, and all firefighters everywhere.

AG Cuomo was in Rochester today on his tour of NY, to promote and educate people about government consolidation in our great state. I added the link for the web site. I say this is timely, given talk of town and city of Batavia merging. http://www.reformnygov.com/

I am not sure if you are aware of this Howard, but the LeRoy Democratic Committee jumped all over the issue concering Jay Grasso and his posting on your sight under assumed names.

In this past week's Pennysaver, the LDC added a flyer describing what happened several months ago, even using the "sock puppet" definition. I just found it interesting that the LDC realizes the Batavian is a legitamite and viable news source for Batavia and Genesee county. No longer does the "Daily Snooze" hold the title of Genesee's only news.