It is a Big Tobacco Myth that small bars will die from a smoking ban. But you just assume it.
Then you require a ban to go statewide, thru Pawlenty. Pro-corporate demagogue Pawlenty will veto any ban. It won't happen there. So the choice as you have it is, ban or small bars. And in that place, you choose bars. And then we are right back where we started, no ban, no non-smoking bars, a total victory for Big Tobacco and perhaps some part of the 20% who smoke, and nothing for the 80% who don't. When corporations succeed in stuffing our heads with myths, we all lose. --David Shove Roseville On Thu, 17 Jun 2004, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > David Shove's and Andy Driscoll's points are all valid. There are a lot of things > that cities can accomplish that state's cant't, including a smoking ban. And > second-hand smoke, like exhaust fumes from automobiles (which I would love to see > banned) are a health threat. (And unlike gasoline, tobacco isn't the cause for our > war with Iraq.) > > Nevertheless, I stand by my original position and concerns. Local smoking bans will > hurt small businesses in the cities while restaurants and bars in the suburbs will > flourish (along with corportate drinking and eating establishments in cities, > suburbs and rural areas that can absorb the loss of business with the smoking ban). > > Implementing policy, laws and ordinances that benefit suburbs and big businesses at > the expense of cities and small businesses doesn't sound very GREEN to me. > > There's a good article in this week's City Pages about the proposed smoking ban. > Ironically enough, the owner of Bryant Lake Bowl, Kim Bartmann, testified in favor > of implementing a ban in Minneapolis, even though there's been smoking in her > establishment. If the benefits of the ban are that important to her, then why > didn't she make her business smoke free as soon as she became aware of the dangers > of second-hand smoke, instead of waiting for a law to be passed? > > Make no mistake. I find cigarette smoke nasty and I'd love to see a state-wide ban. > So let's put the heat on Pawlenty and state legislators instead of our local > politicians. > > If the smoking bans should pass in the Twin Cities, I hope that the proponents of > the ban will at least make an effort to support the small businesses that are going > to be hurt. Heck, I'll buy David and Andy a drink at the Artist's Quarter should > the ban pass in St. Paul. > (The AQ, by the way, will surely suffer given that it's in a basement, meaning its > patrons aren't going to want to climb the stairs to step outside and smoke.) > > Peter Schmitz Downtown St. Paul > > ________________________________________________________________ > The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! > Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! > Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
