BIDIS ~ India's Answer To The High Cost Of Lung Cancer

My photographer friend in Dehli, India, Mukul Dube, is the one who turned me on to bidis. I'd mentioned the soaring cost of cigarettes in the U.S. as both the states and the feds are trying to balance their budgets on the backs of good law abiding patriotic smokers. Mukul told me about these low cost cigarettes in India, so low in cost that it's just the low class poor that smoke the things at penneys a pack. I decided to look about and see if our local Indian population was being properly seviced by our local convenience marts.

The first two that I checked out said "no". I had high hopes for the third one though. It's located directly across the street from what had been an Indian restaurant until it was done in by the current economic situation. A good sign was that the guy at the counter looked Indian and had the proper accent but he seemed taken aback when I asked if he had any bidis. "You know, Indian cigarettes with the leaf wrapper and the silk thread" I added. He reached under the counter and handed me a pack of Sutra Full Flavor Bidis. I asked price and was told $3.00. I put $3.21 on the counter. He took the bills, pushing the change back to me while saying "no tax".

They have a sightly sweet taste and they did a good job of keeping my nicotine addiction in check. They go out almost before you finish taking a toke so they last a long time. I just counted what I have left. I still have ten of them! Not bad at all compared to American smokes. A day's smokes for a buck and a half! I smoke about thirty cigarettes on an average day, and at much higher prices. Thank you, Mukul. Pretty soon I can buy myself a new SUV with the savings!

A View Of Your Water Rate Increase? North Miami's New Elitest Image

I'm standing behind North Miami City Hall.The irony here is that right behind that row of shiny big black SUVs is the building that for many years housed the city's water department. Those shiny black SUVs belong to the mayor and members of the city council. Not visible is the oversized big shiny black pick-up truck that belongs to the city manager. I'll discuss the possible linkage between the recent huge water rate increase with the giant increase in the mayor and council's salary and benefits at another time and place.

What I want to talk about is the kind of example it sets to drive these gas eating monsters. Gas is about $4 a gallon, and still more for diesel. Drought and an overloaded and falling apart water system is the reason for the rate hikes. We're on a four-hours-one-day-a-week lawn watering restriction. The city fathers (and mothers) should be the ones to set an example on conservation, right?

And what's with black cars anyway? White is cooler, cheaper to air condition, burns less gas, saves big money. But what the hell, the tax payers are paying. Paying through the nose. Those overly generous expense accounts the mayor and council awarded themselves, along with the pension and lifetime health insurance. One thing's for sure, though. They sure do know how to reward fuzzy thinking, especially when it's their own greed and incompetence that's being rewarded. You don't suspect that the cars are being maintained, washed and waxed at the city motor pool, do you? Nah, nobody would ever have that much nerve, would they?