Reply #156: Change the commodity

[one-eyed fat man]

There are communities which ban smoking in restaurants and communities which do not. There are communities which ban alcohol and communities that do not.

When a "wet-dry" vote came up in one town in this county the local ministers' association campaigned hard against it. Hoist on the petard of campaign finance laws it turned out the most of the "dry money" came from saloons and liquor stores across the county line. Those who know the old "Baptists and bootleggers" joke will appreciate the life reflecting art.

One city is complaining about the loss of restaurant tax revenue because now folks can have a drink in the formerly dry town.

The same thing has happened with smoking. The city which initially banned smoking is now demanding the ban go county wide because people who smoke go a few miles up the road where the can drink, smoke and spend their money where they want.

There are businesses I will not support simply because I don't like their policies, politics, or proprietor. If a business has a "no guns" I respect their right to post it. I simply take my trade and money elsewhere. They got what they wanted.

As it happens, I don't smoke, but I don't agree with the "Nicotine Nazis" who force bans in bars and restaurants. And I find one of their arguments as to why individual businesses cannot be permitted to formulate their own policies completely reprehensible. When they say the city must make all the bars and eateries in town must ban smoking because if the left it up to individual places the places that banned smoking would lose money to places that allowed it.

I see no difference in your position. Pascal was right.