This is the Schiff campaign strategery? Try to confuse the issue of who excatly is responsible for smoking ban damage? Dave Shegstad had nothing to do with closing 40 bars, and is campaigning against the smoking ban along with other issues that are hurting Minneapolis' small businesses.
Gina Palandri, Gary Schiff's treasurer wrote, "I am 38 short of the 40.(that Mr. Shegstad closed).but we have had numerous restaurants open also in the last few months." It is Gary Schiff's name that belongs in Gina's parantheses. As to comments on the list about bars not preparing for the smoking ban (how? By all of them converting into "upscale" coffee house/jazz clubs?), how quickly we forget that bar owners were told not to worry. The pro-ban forces assured everyone that the smoking ban was going to be GOOD for business. All the smoke-haters were going to flood the bars, if only there was clean air, remember?!?! Workers would be happier and healhtier, right? Not laid off, not seeing their hours cut, not seeing a loss in tips. It's the bar owner's fault, right? They followed a business model that has worked for over 200 years in this country, and when their business drops catastrophically, in conjunction with a new ordinance being foisted ( http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1278/article13343.asp ) on them, it's just a conicidence, right? After reading Gary Schiff's response to Lavender's question, "Has the smoking ban helped the city of Minneapolis?" and piecing it together with an earlier statement, I've formed a theory. To Lavender, Gary said, "It has definitely improved the health of our city and our community. GLBT people smoke more than any minority group. I was so proud when John Moore from the Saloon testified in favor of the ban. He cares deeply about the health of our community." Earlier, commenting on the idea of a St. Paul style partial ban (Strib), Gary said, "compromise would also likely mean all of Minneapolis' gay and lesbian bars would be exempt from the ban because of their higher liquor sales." It appears to me that Gary Schiff's motivation here is to save gay and lesbian people from themselves (either that, or his favorite bar was too smokey for his tastes, and used his position on the city council to force gay bars to accomodate his preference). Is Gary Schiff Minneapolis' self appointed guardian of the gay community? Do GLBT persons need Gary Schiff to make their personal choices for them? Gary seems to think so. I wonder what other lifestyle changes he may have a mind to enforce, "for the gay community's own good." Gina is fond of trying to pass blame for the smoking ban off of Gary Schiff. Here's Gary's own words from the KFAI website "We are standing up to big tobacco. Minneapolis protected the right to breath clean air by passing *my ordinance* banning smoking in bars and restaurants." ( http://www.kfai.org/programs/locnews/2005elec/candidates/schiff.htm ) If he likes to take credit for it, he must also accept the blame for it. I'm working on a list of bars and restaurants closed by the smoking ban. In the meanwhile, here's some news links about the damage Gary Schiff has done to businesses, charities, and lives. http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_275230614.html http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_238163855.html http://wcco.com/consumer/local_story_270172901.html http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/editorial/12636142.htm http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2004/07/21/9917 http://www.kmsp.com/news/story.asp?1645728 http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5528268.html http://www.gamblo.com/node/13156 And here's a reminder of the damage caused in Bloomington... http://www.kmsp.com/news/story.asp?1648510 Dan McGrath Longfellow http://www.shegstad.us 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
