Mr. Driscoll asserts that the mayors are interested in "free-wheeling lies perpetrated by the tobacco companies and union leaders to maintain the status quo. Tobacco, bar owners and union officials - all of whom smoke their brains out day and night." I've been a member of a number of unions and don't much like the aspersions or the generalizations. Later, he disputes the effect on small businesses with another surprisingly argument: "The small-margin businesses are small-margin because of their management, not because smoking is keeping them afloat." This sounds as if every mom and pop business is run by lousy managers who deserve to fail, but I'm not sure I'm understanding Driscoll's meaning correctly. Surely a successful small business with an identified market and clientele is not failing just because it doesn't command huge capital? He claims "Phony data, phony reason to oppose a ban" regarding small businesses, but then offers this statistic without a source "... this state forks over $3 billion smoking-related health-care costs every damned year - right out of your taxpayers' pockets -" I'd appreciate a web link if possible, but a print source will be fine.
I'm also wondering about the increasing number of references to potential lawsuits, i.e. "and the real economic loss is to everyone *but* big tobacco, the bar/restaurant industry and union leadership - and maybe the politicians I can see $xxx'000,000 lawsuits in the future from employees who develop lung cancer on the job." Are there such cases on record? do we have any data from Duluth or Rochester that reflect health changes - good or bad - since their bans went into effect? I tried to find some but found only some stories on economic effects. In my view, measurable improved health effects would make a genuinely compelling argument for tobacco bans. The Helena study was a small, one-time study with multiple "confounding factors," but surely we now have some longer term numbers from cities right here in Minnesota. Gail O'Hare St. Paul _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
