I'm sure everyone is tired of discussing the smoking ban. But, no, not the Blade. It's beating the drums again, this time in an editorial about Michigan. It avers, "By now the old arguments of ban opponents - that mandating the healthy change in public establishments would hurt business and economic development - have been debunked many times over." Bullfeathers!
The Blade keeps peddling its malarkey about no effect on business. I have talked to a number of business owners, who tell me there is no question that it has had an adverse effect. One bar, the Bronze Boar, had a cigar bar and humidor on its second floor for many years and lost so much business that it closed the upper bar down and put in a game room. Mugshots lost so much business that its afternoon and evening crowd melted away to nothing. It even tried changing its name to no avail and is now closed. Many other owners I talk to report similar effects of the smoking ban. It is simply untrue to say the ban has had no economic impact.
This kind of continued editorializing reveals the Blade to be a wild-eyed, fiery advocate of all bans. I'd like to see those obnoxious blue newspaper boxes the Blade puts on streetcorners banned, too. That would give the Blade a taste of its own medicine.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/OPINION02/712...
Here's a novel way to circumvent the smoking ban: saw holes in the walls so customers can stick their heads outside to smoke while standing in the bar!
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,524542,00.html
and his minions SHOULD be happy, as they got their way in oHEILo. but no. Fortunately, their power doesn't extend to Michigan.
Think for a moment....WHY SHOULD THEY CARE?? If it's great for business, Michiganders should be coming to oHEILo IN DROVES and spending money!! Right?
----------------------
BRING THE TROOPS HOME-NOW!
_________________
"They keep talking about drafting a constitution for Iraq.Why don't we give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, and we're not using it any more".
The Blade is hard selling Michigan's smoking ban probably because Ohio is losing too much border business. Towns that border Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana are booming I hear. I guess the Oar House (or Anchor Inn, but I think it's the Oar House) on Suder has shut it's door.
I doubt that the Blade or any government entity cares much whether Ohio business owners lose customers to Michigan... as long as it's small business. Big corporations are another matter. I just think the Blade is on a jihad about smoking.
I am a smoker and don't go to any bars or restaurants in Ohio anymore. It's just not enjoyable to have drinks or dinner with friends when I can't light a cigarette. The cause/effect is too obvious to ignore. Of course The Blade is promoting the smoking ban in Michigan. It would restore at least some business to Ohio. There would be smokers who are currently visiting Michigan establishments that would return their business to Ohio if a smoking ban went into effect in Michigan. Why not just ban cigarette sales? I resent that the great state of Ohio takes my cigarette tax money but won't allow me to smoke in their establishments. The state profits from my habit, but Ohio businesses can't? That, in itself, seems horribly unfair.
I'll just continue to drive a few miles into Michigan where I can enjoy myself freely. And I might just take my cigarette money there, too... even though it will cost more. At least the state of Ohio won't be getting it anymore.
On a related note, two Sundays ago Russ Lemon wrote a guest column in the Blade. True to his history, he blasted Bill Delaney for opposing the smoking ban. He wrote how nice things are in Florida where the state-wide smoking ban was simply accepted and works very well.
He failed to write that bars & taverns are exempted from the Florida smoking ban. That's exactly what Delaney's been asking for here in Ohio. So, the question is . . . is Lemon a liar or is he just unaware of reality?
It's clear that the Blade never intends to distribute honest information on smoking bans. I wrote a letter to the editor and i hasn't been printed.
Big Jim
But I must say, after having lunch with Russ, I believe he is "uneducated" with the limitations of the smoking ban down here.
Facilities which derive MORE than 10% of it's income from food sales are PROHIBITED to allow smoking within it's establishments.
Facilities which derive LESS than 10% of it's income from food sales are PERMITTED to allow smoking within it's establishment.
Also exempt are member establishments (private clubs, elks, moose, eagles, VFW)
As a smoker, I enjoy the Smoking Ban here in Florida as it is WRITTEN. The shame is Grossman is a fucking idiot.
We ate in a restaurant which derives MORE than 10% of it's sales from food.
I have several family members who live in Florida (Clearwater & Dunedin) and they say people smoke in bars & restaurants all the time.
I guess the Louisville, Kentucky smoking ban got shot down, because the racetrack was exempt from it, and people said it was unfair, so it voided the entire ban.
I have several family members who live in Florida (Clearwater & Dunedin) and they say people smoke in bars & restaurants all the time.
I guess the Louisville, Kentucky smoking ban got shot down, because the racetrack was exempt from it, and people said it was unfair, so it voided the entire ban.