Yeah this is the land of the free alright.
Never thought we'd see the day, did we!
Posted on 03/30/2006 4:27:26 PM PST by SheLion
BEFORE ANYONE trots out the disinformation to support a smoking ban in Philadelphia, let me tell you that New York City's sales-tax revenue for bars and restaurants did not rise "8.7 percent" as claimed (and repeated ad nauseam) by agencies Mayor Bloomberg dispatched on the first anniversary of the city's ban.
Not only were the figures distorted by including places like McDonald's and Starbucks, but smoking was banned in 95 percent of restaurants since the 1995 smoking ban.
What pre- to post-ban restaurant tax-revenue comparison was there to make? In all cases (notably bars), sales tax revenue was artificially low immediately following 9/11. To compare the post-ban year to those figures is dishonest.
In April '05, the state tax department released an official review of sales-tax revenue. Comparing the pre-ban year to the post-ban year, bars in NYC lost more than 3.5 percent.
Don't fall for the lies, Philadelphia. Individual owners will lose their livelihoods, and no one will hear their cries after the fact.
One thing that I have all of my smoking acquaintances do when they run into this nonsense is to inform the business that they are not patronizing their establishment expressly because the do not permit smoking. (I'm a non-smoker that has lived with and around smokers all of his life.) For instance, my elderly parents recently opted not to attend a St. Patty's Day event sponsored by a charity they are involved with that was held at a hotel in Avalon, N.J. Apparently N.J. law now forbids smoking in hotel rooms. The only concession they could allow was that guests could smoke on their balcony if they had to (always an attractive option in the winter!) My mother was reluctant to write the hotel a letter stating that they would not be attending because of this prohibition because it wasn't the hotel's fault. It was only after I explained to her that it might be important for the hotel to be able to actually prove and document its lost business due to the smoking prohibition (should the matter ever come up for reconsideration in the future) that she then wrote the letter. I think it is important for everyone to do this simply to back up the claims of hotel/restaurant/bar owners that smoking bans do, in fact, impact their businesses in a substantial and long-lasting way.
"So many private businesses across the United States have closed because of the forced smoking bans"
I can't understand their mind-set. This is costing the fools tax-dollars from honest business. It makes no sense. The only sense I can make out of it is that they want total control over private business and property.
"BEFORE ANYONE trots out the disinformation to support a smoking ban in Philadelphia, let me tell you that New York City's sales-tax revenue for bars and restaurants did not rise "8.7 percent" as claimed (and repeated ad nauseam) by agencies "
The phoney- baloney statistics are to be expected, though.
Isn't it great to live in the land of the free?
You can't smoke, drink and drive, drive without a seat belt on, ride without a helmet on a motorcycle, drink sodas in school, etc.
Yeah this is the land of the free alright.
How on earth could she jeopardise her pension by her activism?
Oh yeah,the billionaire Bloomberg is in charge and who gives a damn about the working stiffs.
I loves the article about the town that really isn't a town.
It's like Chestnut Hill in Massachusetts which is a zip code for sections of brookline,Newton,and Boston.
That cartoon rocks.
It makes sense to me since I see what small garages have to go thru to compete with the large dealerships and chain outfits in the automotive industry. Can you say EPA, OSHA? Lobbying bucks.
Regulate them out of business.
Pick an industry, you'll see the same thing if you research it long and hard enough.
Joe Blow is screwed these days, just look at the recent 'demonstrations' that we've seen this past week. Lobbying bucks.
Want to be a janitor, secretary, cook, mechanic or dishwasher for a corporation? Forget those higher level jobs, they're for my buddies in the frat.
Well son, we need you to sign this disclosure agreement to check your credit history, your criminal record (traffic and misdemeanors DO count), your past addresses for the last seven years, anytime you were in the hospital and so on.
Yep, we're building the perfect little society alright. BIG /s
And don't forget to piss in the little bottle. :-)
Never thought we'd see the day, did we!
I hope that the non smokers who will have to pay the difference will stand up and tell the legislators to stick it when other tax increases are being discussed.
"The reason I bailed out is because I can't predict what this screwed up state is going to do next."
Madison, WI is in the throws of it's Smoking Ban since July '04. The first bar went under this past week; the same week they amended the ban to let the politicians at the Capitol get their hoighty-toidy Cigar Bars back in business. I'll post an article if I can find one...it's been pretty hush-hush.
I gave blood last month and was in the Recovery/Snacking Area (LOL!) and chatted with an older man who used to own "The Tavern" which was a really popular Mom & Pop place in Madison. He sold a year before the ban went into effect, and he was very glad that he did. Unfortunately, he sold to his brother, who is now having a tough go of it. :(
Oops! July '05 was the smoking ban...this PAST summer. Sorry.
They will just jack up the tax on a pack of cigarettes--the smokers pay,the smokers always pay.
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