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| Post Number: 131
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GEOKARJO 
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Posted on: Apr. 14 2005,3:37 pm |
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I don't think so.
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| Post Number: 132
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GEOKARJO
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Posted on: Apr. 14 2005,11:59 pm |
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Sue,
I am a chef / kitchen manager who was recently laid off because of forcasted revenue decreases due to the smoking ban. I have not only lost my right to enjoy a cigarette while having a drink, but I have also temporarily lost my livelyhood due to this unjust ban. I would like to share my story with as many legislators as I can. Could you send me any of their email addresses?
Thanks,
Cory Johnson
Sent To: minnesotasmokers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 11:29 AM
Hi All,
Every day I hear from more and more business owners telling me the problems they are experiencing thanks to the smoking ban. I have heard staff is quitting because of reduced hours and lost tips, assaults and drug and alcohol use while customers are out smoking have increased, and city streets are a mess. I have heard revenue losses in Bloomington, Minneapolis, and Hennepin County down anywhere from 13% to 65%. One VFW has already informed their city they will no longer be donating charitable gambling revenues to the city coffers. All the while, surrounding cities and counties report record sales.
Now that the first week of fun is over, business owners and staff are finally realizing how damaging these bans are. The blood, sweat, tears and money we have invested into our businesses and through no fault of our own has many wondering how long they will be able to hang on
Give me a call.
Sue Jeffers
Stu! b and Herb's
612-384-4374
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| Post Number: 133
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GEOKARJO
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,11:34 am |
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Mpls. Bar Owners Say Ban Is Bad For Business
April 22, 2005
Minneapolis (WCCO) Some establishment owners are claiming a huge drop in business since Minneapolis snuffed out smoking three weeks ago.
The smoking ban went in effect March 31 at city bars, restaurants and bowling alleys, but claims of declining business have elected officials thinking about changing the law.
City Councilman Dean Zimmerman, co-sponsor of the city smoking ban, got an earful Wednesday at a meeting with about 40 Minneapolis establishment owners, including Gabby's owner Jeff Ormond.
"Everybody is seeing declined sales," Ormond said.
"We're down between 25 and 30 percent," one bar owner said.
"We were not prepared for this big chunk of our business to be bitten out of us," said another.
"We're the ones risking everything, and I'm very upset about it, and we've got to do something about it," another attendee said.
Zimmerman was willing to suggest the law could change.
"There certainly may be opportunity for doing the partial ban that would mimic what's happening in St. Paul," Zimmerman told those in attendance.
During Wednesday's lunch rush, there were plenty of open tables at Gabby's in northeast Minneapolis. The bar was practically empty, and owner Ormond was fuming.
"This is the worst -- what you're looking at -- the worst problem," Ormond said, indicating the empty barstools. "Our bar was always semi-full."
Ormond said business was down 26 percent since the ban went in effect.
"Our bartenders' tips are down 50 percent. People come in and have one drink and say 'Hi' and then 'Bye, thank you, gotta go to the bar where we can smoke.'"
Before the smoking ban, Ormond had six people serving drinks on a Saturday night. Ormond said he was cutting it to three, because he needed fewer people to serve the declining bar clientele.
In all, Ormond crossed 51 work shifts off his schedule, an amount equal to 10 full-time jobs.
The American Lung Association told WCCO-TV it wanted the city to give the smoking ban a full year. That way, the city could analyze sales receipts and gather hard data on whether businesses were actually hurting.
http://wcco.com
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| Post Number: 134
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ICU812
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 3244
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,11:53 am |
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| Quote | | The American Lung Association told WCCO-TV it wanted the city to give the smoking ban a full year. That way, the city could analyze sales receipts and gather hard data on whether businesses were actually hurting. |
Good give it year, but they(ALA) better be willing to subsidize each and every business that is seeing a drop in income.
Man, could you imaging having a business that paid the bills and left a little to put away each day then a few Do-Gooders turn it all around overnight.
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| Post Number: 135
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GEOKARJO
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,12:12 pm |
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Police to examine possible smoking violation by comedian
April 13, 2005
Lincoln police said Wednesday they will look into a comedian's possible violation of Lincoln's smoking ban when he smoked a cigar throughout his act Friday night at the Pershing Center.
Lincoln voters approved a smoking ban in November banning smoking in most public places in Lincoln, including the Pershing Center. Since the ban began being enforced Jan. 1, a dozen people have been cited for violating it.
Texas comedian Ron White, who smokes a cigar during his "Drunk in Public" tour, apparently violated the ban during his show. City Attorney Dana Roper said there are no exemptions for theatrical performances, although there was in an earlier draft of the ordinance.
Assistant Police Chief Jim Peschong said he first learned of the possible violation on Wednesday. He said it's not fair to enforce the ban against bars and restaurants, and not White.
"We are going to look into it," he said.
People who violate the ban face up to a $100 fine for the first offense, as does the proprietors of the place in which they smoke. In this case, that would be the Pershing, which is owned by the city.
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| Post Number: 136
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GEOKARJO
Google This!!!
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,12:14 pm |
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Lincoln police will issue ticket for comedian's on-stage cigar
April 15, 2005
By The Associated Press
The company that manages the city's Pershing Center will be cited by police after comedian Ron White violated the city's smoking ban during a performance last week. Police Chief Tom Casady said SMG of Philadelphia will get a $100 ticket.
"The law says you can't allow smoking," Casady said Cigars, scotch and Texas-tough talk are part of White's act. During the performance at the Pershing Center, a fan shouted out, asking what it was costing him to smoke the cigar at the center. "Nothin'," White replied. "I said if I can't smoke, I ain't comin."'
Casady said White will not be ticketed because "he's long gone."
Casady said one of his sergeants thought briefly about ticketing White during his act.
"But she said ‘No way was I going to give a ticket to a comedian on stage with a crowd of 8,000 people,' " Casady said.
Pershing Center Manager Tom Lorenz did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.
Lorenz and City Attorney Dana Roper initially said the city's no-smoking ordinance had an exemption for theatrical performances. But after double-checking the ordinance, Roper said he was wrong: There was an exemption in a draft, but the exemption didn't make the final version.
Lorenz said earlier that smoking never came up when he booked White.
The title of White's tour, "Drunk in Public," refers to his being charged with public drunkenness after being booted from a bar.
There have been fewer than a dozen citations issued since the smoking ban went into effect in January, Casady said.
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| Post Number: 137
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GEOKARJO
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,12:15 pm |
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Ron White Stands Up To The Antis
Comedian flips off the anti-smokers
- In newly prissy Lincoln Nebraska the audience at the Pershing Center were waiting with bated breath to see whether comedian Ron White would perform his act without smoking. The city's smoking ban prohibits all smoking inside the center, with no exemptions for performers, a definite crimp on White's chain-smoking, scotch drinking shtick.
Thunderous applause greeted White when he poured himself a drink and lit up a cigar.
"I said if I can't smoke, I ain't comin' And if you don't like it, the exits are there, there, there, … ."
No one exited but the city attorney was contacted who verified that White and broke the law and was subject to a fine. It's doubtful Lincoln will embarrass itself further by pursuing this scofflaw, which sends a positive message to the average Joe that victimless "crimes" must not be taken seriously.
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| Post Number: 138
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FlyguyAL
Group: Members
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Joined: Mar. 2005
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,12:41 pm |
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| Quote (GEOKARJO @ April 28 2005,12:15,pm) | | Ron White Stands Up To The Antis |
Way to go Ron or as his blue collar comedy cohort would say way to "GET-R-DONE".
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| Post Number: 139
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MADDOG
Group: Moderator
Posts: 7821
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,12:55 pm |
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You know who you are. you've given me he11 for more than this., but for the rest of us......
Stay on top of things. I like it. but...
Fight for the right to smoke!
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Actually my wife is especially happy when my google check arrives each month. Thanks to douchbags like you, I get paid just for getting you worked up. -Liberal
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| Post Number: 140
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GEOKARJO
Google This!!!
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Posted on: Apr. 28 2005,1:43 pm |
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Antis Target Schwarzenegger
Anti-Tobacco Activists Target Capitol Smoking Tent
Apr 20, 2005
Anti-smoking activists are taking aim at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, specifically at a private courtyard at the state Capitol, where the governor has set up a tent to smoke cigars.
Right now, the smoking tent is legal, but it may not be much longer.
Currently, no one is allowed to smoke in the hallways or within 20 feet of the doors at the state Capitol, or any other public building in the state. Now, some legislators want to expand the smoke-free zone to include an area where the governor's office says he does some of his most important work.
While celebrating new statistics that show fewer than one in seven Californians are still lighting up, anti-smoking advocates Wednesday targeted one of the state's highest profile smokers.
Anti-Tobacco Advocates Celebrate Low Smoking Rates
Smoking opponents have long criticized Schwarzenegger for not only smoking cigars, but also appearing on the cover of Cigar Aficionado magazine.
"I think the fact that the governor is using state property to promote the use of a product that kills over 40,000 Californians is totally unacceptable," said American Lung Association spokesman Debra Kelley.
Shortly after the governor took office, he had a tent set up within an inner courtyard of the state Capitol, which is exempt from the state's current ban on smoking in public buildings because it does not lead outside and is normally off limits to the public.
Assemblyman Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, said he has seen the governor smoking because his office at the state Capitol overlooks the smoking tent. At a committee hearing Wednesday, Vargas was pushing a bill to outlaw the governor's smoking area and hundreds more such courtyards in all public buildings.
"The governor's smoking area is not a nuisance to me, not an annoyance to me, and that's why it's not aimed at the governor. I mean, there are many, many places like this around the state," Vargas said.
Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia, accused Vargas of trying to make the entire state into a smoke-free zone.
"If Mr. Vargas wants to eliminate smoking in the state of California, then come up with the courage Mr. Vargas to bring that bill to the Assembly floor," Mountjoy said.
If the new smoking ban passes in the Legislature, it would need the governor's signature to become law. The governor's office told KCRA 3's David Bienick Wednesday that Schwarzenegger has not yet taken a position on the bill, but added that the smoking tent is an informal area where the governor can meet with people to discuss state business.
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