Please Ping any New York Freepers you may know....
i love clean air! It's great to go out, have a good time, and not smell like smoke. But I'm in Suffolk County, so I guess it's just something i would expect to have...
Unfortunately, I'll be attending my nephew's school recital that day and he lives in Flatlands, so I doubt that I'll be able to make it up to Albany to join the rest of you dedicated NYS FReepers.
Joe Jackson has been great on this issue! In fact, he's even written a song, "20-03", to rally opposition to this ridiculously paternalistic piece of dreck passed by the New York state legislature.
Believe it or not, it was first played on the 'Steve Malzberg Show' a few months ago. If you want to find Joe's website, just head over to my links page. It should be the seventh subject line from the top.
One thing to remember in calls, emails, letters or (better yet) showing up is to focus on the one message they are trying to get across.
This is not a smokers rights issue (it really isn't) it's a business issue. These businesses are hurting and hurting badly.
The patrons of bars and taverns, for whatever reason, seem to generally be smokers, and they are just not going out as often which hurts the bottom line of these businesses. Another problem is within neighborhoods....the smokers that are going out must go outside which means an increase in noise which disturbs the neighbors who for years probably lived in harmony with the neighborhood tavern.
Businesses are being hurt because the antis lied when they shoved this law through the NY legislature at practically the last minute. They claimed the non-smoking majority of the State of NY would start going to these establishments in droves once the ban went into effect........it has not happened.
This legislation does not force any business to permit smoking - it only allows those bars and clubs that wish to permit it to do so with certain criteria regarding ventilation and seperation.
(She - I pinged you for your list)
(Lock - you know why I pinged you)
So let me get this straight...bar/tavern owners have their private property rights taken away by the state, lose money and patronage, and now are expected to spend even more money to bring themselves inline with the "strict Health Department standards"...and you're ok with this? Sheesh...why not just offer to rip off your arm and let them beat you over the head with it, too.
bttt
