Ramsey County/St. Paul much the same, despite exemptions not possible in Hennepin/Mpls/Bloomington. Patronage doubled in former smoking bastions. Tavern on Grand packed for lunch and dinner (famous for walleye). Extra staff had to be called in.
Let all pretense for economics driving resistance be dismissed. It's all about the libertarian dedication to push the public out of public assets and public accommodations that drives the arguments. Hearing the last, desperate cries from Jim Farrell of the beverage peddlers group and the lawyer for suing bar owners on MPR over the last few days finally boiled down to one argument: these are private business into which no jack-booted government agent should be allowed to tread. Never mind that all other public health regulations dictating the condition of buildings, the safety of food and beverage operations and the cleanliness of storage facilities for these very same bars and restaurants have long been accepted, if not loved, by these same owners. The hypocrisy fairly drips from their nicotine-stained lips as they cling to their own smoking habits, not just those of their workers or choking clientele. The sham that economic devastation will result from smoking bans has been shattered by all experience, just as their success has been ensured by health and safety regulations that inspire confidence for patrons to keep coming back for their wares. I hope the exempted bars in Ramsey County will feel the big pinch for retaining their deadly atmospheres and watch their patronage dwindle as it migrates to their healthier, smoke-free competition down the street or in Hennepin County. Our gratitude should overflow for those elected officials who stood firm against the tsunami of minority-view lobbyists screaming like Chicken Little at the prospect of customers departing for poison air elsewhere rather than sticking with their favorite watering holes. It was and is all nonsense. The proof is in the fuller cash registers and emptier emergency rooms. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul > From: "David Brauer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 06:48:43 -0600 > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: [Mpls] Smoking ban: Night One > > The Local, Nicollet Mall, lunchtime: packed. The person working the door > said they had to bring extra folks in to work the kitchen. (Wife report.) > > The CC Club, 26th & Lyndale, 7:50 p.m. More than a few folks standing > outside smoking. Their new outdoor deck isn't finished yet. > > VFW Post, 28th & Lyndale, 7:55 p.m. A woman exits, and in a nanosecond, > lights up a smoke. Even at a private smoking bastion, the ban seems to be > enforced. A big white official-looking sticker on the front door makes it > clear there is no smoking inside. > > Herkimer, 28th & Lyndale, 8 p.m.: packed. The server said it was way busier > than usual. They got $40 of my money they wouldn't have, otherwise. The > smell of nicotine had been replaced by beer and sweat - an improvement, my > party agreed. > > It's only day one, too soon to tell anything long-term, but there definitely > to be seemed a good buzz around town yesterday (the kind that doesn't impair > driving). > > David Brauer > Kingfield ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [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/
