Posted on 09/17/2005 8:10:15 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is willing to put up $10,000 in room tax revenue to help promote Madison bars, but only if the anti-smoking and pro-smoking forces also kick in some cash.
The mayor issued a challenge Friday to both sides in the smoldering fight, urging the combatants to put down their rattling sabers and come together to see what can be done about the financial loss some Madison bars have reported since the smoking ban took effect on July 1.
"I'm concerned about the relatively small number of tavern owners, especially on Madison's periphery, who say our smoke-free ordinance is hurting their business," Cieslewicz said in letters sent to smoking ban supporters SmokeFree Wisconsin and the Tobacco-Free Dane County Coalition, and to smoking ban protesters including the Coalition to Save Madison Jobs and the Dane County Tavern League.
SmokeFree Wisconsin accepted Cieslewicz's challenge and urged the others to do likewise.
"We accept the mayor's challenge and commit up to $10,000 to this effort," said Maureen Busalacchi of SmokeFree Wisconsin. "A positive promotional campaign to benefit Madison's hospitality industry is far more beneficial to the industry and the community than a prolonged and heated debate."
Cieslewicz is committing the $10,000 from room tax revenues, which are earmarked to be spent on helping promote Madison business. Property tax revenues won't be used for the challenge.
"I am willing to commit city resources to help taverns gain new customers to replace those who may have left because of the (smoking) ban," the mayor said. "But this needs to be a partnership with tavern owners and smoke-free advocates."
Tavern owners are hoping to be allowed to show they've suffered a hardship because of the smoking ban so that patrons can light up once again while enjoying a beer.
Some bar owners and others against the ban want a referendum but the mayor prefers the challenge route.
"This is a far better option than a referendum," Cieslewicz said.
The council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to hold an advisory referendum in April.
Cieslewicz said it's far more beneficial to have opposing groups come together and try to promote the city's bars, instead of seeing if the smoking ban can be done away with. Repealing the ban, which was attempted once but failed this summer, again has little chance of being rescinded by the City Council.
"Tavern owners and smoke-free advocates have two choices," the mayor said. "They can both spend substantial amounts of money battling each other for the next seven months for the public's support of their respective positions, or they can pool their resources and join together to help taverns thrive under the ban so they both win."
There was no word Friday from the Dane County Tavern League if it would accepting Cieslewicz's challenge.
Mayor Dave screws over businesses, bankrupting a few in the process, to have a Smoke-Free Madison, WI.
Then, Mayor Dave shakes down businesses for money, which they don't have due to the Smoking Ban, to promote the businesses that he's ruined?
Am I reading that right?
Sounds right to me. They can advertise but I won't be there any time in the near future. Good cheese or not, their gestapo laws are wrong. So much for freedom or rights in WI. It's not a matter of smoking, it's a matter of the state dictating what a business can do or not do.
Eventually people will have to realize that smoking bans aren't going away. They are the wave of the future, and there's nothing that can be done to stop them. My right to clean air transcends your right to pollute air.
yes, Diana, you are reading this right.
And what makes it even worse, is those smokefree grups are taxpayer supported, priomarily through excise taxes on tobacco.
Any business that is losing oney and goes along with this scheme deserves to lose money.
So, you signed up today to whine? Tobacco smoke is not pollution.
I'll bet you just can't wait until the ban is extended to peoples' homes and cars, can you?
Alpha-2: Trolling to post dissent since 9-17-05.
I dunno it looks like Mayor Dave is now in the business of encouraging drunks who dont smoke to come back to the bars.
Legislators in Maryland are now trying to pass an anti-smoking ban in bars, There arent many bars left now ,since the MAD mothers got crazy with their agenda now the anti-smoking pukes should finish off whats left of them.
My right to determine the use of legal products on/in my private property transcends your right to enter the premises.
If you want a smokefree dining/drinking experience talk to the owner or better yet - put your money where your mouth is and open your own.
Do you drive a car? Pollution is pollution after all boot licker.
Verbatim from the anti-smoker playbook.
I used to work with an antismoking Nazi of the worst kind. She was always leaving little articles on my desk about smoking being banned in some new place. One day I came across an article that said every man, woman, and child in the US would have to pay X amount of dollars more in taxes due to the loss of tobacco taxes. I never came to work to be greeted by her little spiteful articles again.
Something I don't understand. Perhaps you could explain. I don't know your age so I am probably sking the wrong one. But why didn't smoking bother people in the 50's, 60's and 70's. People are the same now as they were then. Why didn't anyone complain, then? Back then, you could even smoke in DR.s offices and hospitals.
Your right to stay the hell out of the smoking section of the bar transcends your dumb-ass stupidity, you smoke Nazi punk newbie.
I was going to ask if they had a fireplace, BBQ grill or have ever made a campfire. Isn't it funny that wood smoke and auto emmission doesn't offend them? (or that smoking a joint doesn't fall in the same category as tobacco in their retarded minds?)
You have been drinking the KoolAid.
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