Mr. Strand's response below scares the holy hell out of me. Mr. Strand says: "Why should public policy be crafted not based on public health but on some twisted idea that every single business must survive intact as is only sans smoking?"
MT says: Nice try, but totally misses the point. The notion of fighting the ban was based on the idea that not every business must survive sans smoking. Anti-ban proponents understood that the market should decide what establishments live and which die based on the clientele they choose to cater to. Not good enough for ban proponents who bring out the disingenuous "public health" card. If this is truly a public health issue, why such a half-assed one? I mean, seriously, let's ban the stuff. Loud music at the bars has got to go (severe hearing damage to patrons and workers is a legitimate health issue, right)? Same with butter and deep fried wings and curds and mozzarella and skins as appetizers. While this may sound facetious, it's apt and analogous to the issue of "public health." This ain't about public health, folks, it's merely about convenience because a few busy-bodies don't want to wash their hair when they get back from the Fine Line or wherever. Too bad, so sad, that some businesses will just dry up because the David Strands of the world cannot fathom making a decision to stay out of places that he and others find objectionable. I hope the ban proponents contribute to food shelves. The selfishness, narrow-mindedness, and abdication of personal power regarding this issue as evidenced by many posters on this subject is absolutely astounding. Mike Thompson Windom ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Strand" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Mpls Forum'" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 6:40 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Smoking ban participation > Conditions change. Businesses fail. Happens > everyday. > > > > Businesses that can't sustain themselves without > allowing smoking perhaps deserve to fail and be > replaced by other businesses. > > Would a few bars going out of business be the end of > something of some huge value compared to the health > benefits of the ban? > > I think not. > > Now I have had some fond memories around some hole in > the wall bars, don't get me wrong. The only one that > went out of business that I truly mourned it's passing > had more to do with it's fate as a victim of an arson > thought to be hate crime(still under investigation) in > the city in Michigan where I attended college. > > The thought of the bar being lit on fire on a back > wall while packed with people because someone hates > gay people left me said and a little cold. > > These arguments that we can't loose even one business > to the ban seem like the arguments some make about > cutting unnecessary spending- think of the lost jobs! > > Hey, be creative. Change your enterprise to draw > different people in the door. If you can't make it. > Find a new profession like thousands of people in this > country do all the time. > > David Strand > Loring Park > --- Jeremy Wieland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > However, there are businesses that > > were crushed last > > week-end. Many of the neighborhood bars in > > Northeast Minneapolis suffered > > major financial loses. It is really important that > > people behind the > > marketing to get non-smokers out focus on more than > > just the trendy places. > > The Dakota was already smoke-free. Let's get some > > people into the small > > neighborhood joints where businesses are currently > > in danger. Walk the talk > > and spend some money. Start a non-smoking dart > > league. If you're a > > non-smoker, learn to bowl. > > > > If businesses start to go under, the ban will be > > revised, just as it was in > > Duluth. If the ban is to stay, non-smokers have to > > do a lot more than buy a > > beer once per month at Chino Latino. People have > > got to get out. > > > > Jeremy Wieland > > Northeast > > Candidate, 3rd Ward City Council > > www.jeremywieland.blogs.com > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Make Yahoo! your home page > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > REMINDERS: > 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
