Bar owners to ban lawmakers in Mich

[Ragman]

Bar, restaurant owners angry over smoking ban plan to exclude lawmakers
Aug 24, 2011

LANSING -- Bar and restaurant owners upset about Michigan's workplace smoking ban have a ban of their own in the works.

Protect Private Property Rights in Michigan said Tuesday that about 500 bars statewide plan to ban state lawmakers from their premises. It would start Sept. 1.

Excluding the lawmakers is a way for critics to draw attention to what they say are the harmful effects of the smoking ban.

Some bar owners say they have lost business because of the ban. Others say decisions about whether to allow smoking should be left to property owners.

The Legislature-approved smoking ban took effect in May 2010.

"This subject needs to be opened up in Lansing again, it needs to be discussed again," said Steve Mace, executive director of the property rights group.

To highlight what they consider the hypocrisy of Michigan's smoking ban -- which exempts gambling floors of Detroit casinos -- business owners said the lawmaker ban also would have exemptions. It would not cover the Republican or Democratic leaders in the House or Senate.

Ari Adler, a spokesman for House Republican Speaker Jase Bolger, said the lawmaker ban is an interesting tactic but not likely to spark legal change.

 

[paullud]

The ban was just another way to show that politicians have no concept of individual liberties.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[layoutshooter]

A story:

Back in the very early '60's the pollution was getting SO bad on the Detroit River it was killing migrating ducks by the 10's of thousands. This was before tree huggers. The Michigan Duck Hunters Assc. TRIED to be nice asking for action on the issue, but Lansing ignored them.

They did NOT go away. What THEY did was get 2 5 ton dump trucks, filled both with dead ducks that they picked up for the River and Lake Erie shores, and drove to Lansing, They then dumped the dead birds in front of the Capitol.

They got some action.

What these bar owners need to do is get several thousand smokers, go to the capitol steps, sit on them and light up.

An individual bar owner SHOULD be able to what they want. Just so they keep in mind that they lose business from non-smokers who now out number smokers.

My niece's boyfriend owns a bar. While he has lost some of the early morning "shot and beer" business, his evening business has increased and food sales are up since the ban. Many people LIKE the ban. He has said that he will stay non-smoking no matter what.

That is HIS choice. Each place SHOULD be allowed to run their business as they see fit.

 

[Poorboy]

It would be a lot better if the States(Including Ohio) would butt out of it all together and let the "Owners" of these establishments make up their own minds as to how "They" want to run their businesses. All they would need to do is post signs on their business property stating This is a Smoking establishment or this is a Non Smoking establishment and leave the choice of the potential customer if he/she wants to enter or not.
I remember when these sleeze balls in Ohio were brain washing the voters about the smoking ban and the owners told them that they were going to lose business and possibly their businesses. The sleeze balls told them not to worry because the Non-Smokers would support them! Bull Hockey, Numerous businesses have closed and these Non-Smokers? If they tried to support them, Then they failed!