Posted on 02/17/2006 5:16:52 AM PST by SheLion
After a delay of several weeks, the General Assembly began moving this week on the Clean Air Act, which could ban smoking in bars, restaurants and all indoor public places.
“It would immensely affect Ocean City, I think,” Delegate Bennett Bozman said. “I keep hearing different reports from people. The act slows down for a little while and then it picks back up bigger than ever.”
Should the state of Maryland pass the act, it will be the 12th state to make such legislation law. Similar bills have been defeated in the General Assembly for the past three years.
“To be perfectly honest with you, I have mixed feelings about it,” BJ’s owner Billy Carder said. “I like it exactly the way it is right now. At BJ’s, we have a designated non-smoking bar and non-smoking dining room. It works out great for us and it satisfies everyone. I see no problem seeing it stay exactly as it is.”
The state’s first smoking laws were enacted in 1995, when smoking was banned in the workplace. Since then, advocates have pushed for more, saying that food industry workers deserve the same health rights as all other workers in the state.
“I think a smoking ban could be detrimental to business, but it remains to be seen,” Carder said. “I think the state has done a great job in actually handling the situation as it is now and I don’t think it could be better than it is right now. Everyone is satisfied with it.”
The biggest opponent of the smoking ban is the Restaurant Association, whose key point is that without smokers, restaurant and bar tabs would decrease dramatically.
“I’ve heard a rumor that there is some sentiment to let each county do their own laws,” Bozman said. “I’ve heard them talking and in discussions around the table … They would say, ‘maybe this is a local issue.’”
Three counties, Talbot, Montgomery and Prince George’s, have already enacted their own smoking laws. Howard County attempted to do the same last month, but its county council did not pass a full ban.
“Because three counties have already banned smoking, they have set precedent,” Bozman said. “It may end up being a local issue ... If you don’t take away that power, then they can still do it. It basically lets counties do what they want.”
According to the Baltimore Sun, Gov. Robert Ehrlich supports the restaurant and bar industry and has said a smoking ban would never happen on his watch.
While I am all for personal freedom, I can tell you there is a noticable difference between dining at an Outback in Montgomery and Frederick County.
How is that?
In spite of their ad campaign, I've found Outback to be a boring, portion controlled, industrial chophouse. What differences did you notice?
Its a 2 way street. I am not against making eating establisments have smoking and non-smoking sections and where the air is cleaned by scrubbers. I am against banning smoking. I think alowing both smokers and non-smokers to enjoy their meals in the atmosphere that suits them both is fair.
This goes against my conservative bones to regulate someones business. On second thought if a restaurant wants to be a strickly smoking establishment with no provisions for clean air....that is ok with me. The only Caveat I would require would be a very large sign saying so, so I dont have to get out of my car after finding a hard to find parking spot, running through a driving rain, or blizzard, or hail storm only to find out that the air is grey with smoke.
Signs go a long way! :)
Then everyone can choose what they prefer.
Restaurants and bars are not "public property" and whether the patrons can smoke or not SHOULD BE up to the owner. If you don't like restaurants which allow smoking, find one that doesn't allow it. Of course, I'm speaking too late, since we've already allowed ourselves to be led around on a leash by these stupid bureaucrats.
However:
Public property: That which is purchased and maintained by tax dollars for the benefit of all people.
Private property: That which is not purchased or maintained by tax dollars and is for the benefit of the property owner.
In the beginning, when California and Maine went smoke free, everyone "waited" to see how it went.
The professional anti's spewed lies all over the place telling the states that the businesses would increase their revenue and all would be just glorious.
As the years rolled by, private business owners are now finding out that we lost a LOT of restaurants and bars across the United States after they were forced to go smoke free, and all that revenue from non-smokers that would flock to the business? Never happened.
And if the lawmakers in the remaining free states think for one minute that we aren't watching how they are voting on smoking bans, they have another thought coming!
Private business owners in forced smoking ban areas are now suing the states after finding out that they are on the brink of closure.
how about a smoking section as a 3rd choice.
Oh! Without a doubt. The smoking and non-smoking sections with the big smoke eaters is all we needed.
And there should be NO complaints after a restaurant/bar installs the big smoke eaters. They are wonderful. Even for smokers. hehe!
The nasty thing about this though, Force, is that we read more every day where a Republican RINO lawmaker is BEHIND these smoking bans. You talk about putting my fur on end. Nothing upsets us worse then a damn RINO lawmaker.
Same here! The straw that broke the camel's back for me me was how every drink (even ice water) is served in those kiddified plastic "beer mugs" -- uninsulated so before too long every drink is standing in a puddle of water. We went to OB about 3 years ago. Didn't like it. Gave it a second chance about 2 months ago. Bye-bye Outback. No rules, just... 
I know this is getting way, way off the subject but has anyone eaten at Cracker Barrel lately? 
Hubby and I had to do some shopping yesterday morning and stopped by CB for "brunch" (10:30 a.m.). Haven't been there in years so their "grits" came as a complete surprise. They're about the size of a silver dollar pancake...and looks (and tasted) like one of those "hots-cakes" Lisa Douglas used to cook up on "Green Acres".
Here in the PR of NY and specifically where it all started on Long Island and more specifially here in Suffolk County, all the diners and restaurants bought the big scrubbers. This was great. No problem right? wrong, they eventually went on to ban it outright in restaurants and bars and the owners lost whatever money they put into the scrubbers when the ban took effect. I never understood it because the scrubbers WORKED!
You gotta hate politicians.
The nearest Cracker Barrel for me is in Phoenix. But I'll give it a try next time I'm down there.
Re: Outback. No rules? Ha! Maybe no rules if you're a Sims character. Just right? Ha! Just right for shoe leather.
Always darkest before the dawn, right? :)
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