By Jayne Carroll

A recent national survey conducted by a firm called Public Policy Polling revealed that only 9 percent of Americans approve of Congress, 81 percent disapprove.

While Congress has slightly higher approval than John Edwards, the Kardashians, gonorrhea and playground bullies, our elected members of the U.S. House and Senate are seen as worse than head lice, colonoscopies, cockroaches, NFL replacement referees, root canals, and France.

Oregon state Rep. Mitch Greenlick and his latest stunt to criminalize cigarette smoking epitomizes why the public has such low esteem for public officials. Greenlick is not alone in his silly grandstanding and waste of public time and tax dollars, but he does serve as a poster child for the political "theater of the absurd."

Greenlick, a Democrat who represents Northwest Portland and parts of unincorporated Multnomah and Washington counties, recently introduced legislation into the Oregon Legislature that would make purchasing a pack of cigarettes, without a doctor's prescription, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $6,250 fine.

Greenlick's bill doesn't exempt those who chew tobacco or nicotine gun or use nicotine patches; if the legislation passes, anyone using these products, without a prescription, would be considered criminals.

Why is this ridiculous? Discouraging smoking is a good thing and if Greenlick's legislation were to pass it would inspire many to quit rather than face prison time and/or paying a huge fine.

It's absurd because Rep. Greenlick knows that his bill will never pass and that he is wasting valuable legislative time and money to generate self-serving publicity.

Once again, Oregon has received national mocking for being the home of "Portlandia"-style wackiness. "Portlandia" is a satirical televison sit-com that mocks the strange characters who inhabit Oregon's largest city and who take political correctness to ludicrous levels.

"Portlandia" is intended to be funny; Greenlick's legislation is just silly.

Serious problems with Greenlick's criminalization of smoking legislation include impracticality, no enforcement mechanism, prohibitive related costs, and it could be a major impetus for an Oregon cigarette black market.

But the real reason Greenlick's bill is dead on arrival is because the government makes more money off the sale of every pack of cigarettes sold than the tobacco companies. Oregon's take alone is approximately $1.18 per pack.

Mitch Greenlick, if he were genuine about curtailing smoking, could start with the government's addiction to the dangerous habit. However, it is far less courageous and politically risky to get media attention for harebrained ideas than offering serious solutions to public health problems.

The Public Policy Polling national survey exposing America's contempt for politicians was about the U.S. Congress, but ideas like Greenlick's l anti-smoking legislation is why so many lawmakers have a lower public approval than head lice.

Jayne Carroll hosts The Jayne Carroll Radio Talk Show Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. on KUIK-AM 1360. Reach her at RadioJayne@comcast.net or call her at 503-648-0101 or 503-640-1360 during show hours.