Wow, some of the comments on that link are pretty sad. One owner is shutting down for the winter, because his employees can make more on unemployment. Then there are the Elks, who count on the money to run the Christmas programs for needy families. Volunteer fire depts who used the money to keep up their equipment.
There was a piece here that I didn't get a chance to read, about some government agency, and mandatory aerobics :-/ When will the nanny state stop?
It's sickening. I am happy that you took time to read some of that.
The anti-non-smokers have NO clue as to what smoking bans are doing to our economy. Smoking Bans Are Choking The Economy. But the anti-smokers could care less. As long as they don't SEE anyone smoking or SMELL smoke, then they act all smug and holier then thou.
Also, like it or not, many Bingo halls have to shut down as well. And their money used to go to charities. Well, when one of your local charities cry the blues, point to the anti-smokers and let them know the truth.
Sure, smoking isn't for everyone, and if it bothers a person that badly, then stay home or go somewhere that doesn't have a lot of smokers. Fair is fair.
Also, the smoking bans not only kills the business, it has the trickle down effect: the vendors that supply the business also falters. And the businesses that can manage to limp along have to lay off and cut hours.
Smokers aren't going away. I'm sorry to say that to all the FReepers in here that wish to hell we would, but we aren't going anywhere.
If smoking and shs is so bad for everyone, then the government needs to ban it and pull in their belts and dump their pet programs.
BTW, my one grandmother died of cancer age 42. Never smoked a day in her life. My other grandmother? Smoked three packs of unfiltered Camels and lived to be 86.
What hurts me most is the pompous ass attitudes some of our very own FReepers have against us, just because we choose to smoke a legal commodity. Some days, I think I fell into the DU Yahoo Smoking Boards. ACK!