Smoking Ban Cutting NY Lottery Sales - Business UNITES

AP - Boston.com ^ | May 22 2003 | AP - Boston

[Outraged At FLA]

Albany -- New York lost more than $500,000 in lottery sales after hundreds of bars and restaurants unplugged their lottery machines to protest the statewide smoking ban in businesses, officials said Thursday.

The protest was meant to deprive the state of revenue from the Quick Draw game and publicize bar and restaurant owners' concerns that the smoking ban will hurt business, said Scott Wexler of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association.

[SheLion]

I sure hope this works!

[Conspiracy Guy]

If the smokers would go buy their smokes elsewhere that would really cut some revenue.

[FreeRadical]

the problem is that these people do not consider a bar or restaurant private property - the definitions of public and private have totally blurred in the face of this issue.

This "blurring" is precisely what makes pro smoking ban people bad people.  
They know a bar or restaurant is private property.   They know full well.  It's just that they are not getting things exactly their way if there is smoke in the air.  So, oh, lord above, something must be done. Admittedly, some are merely stupid, but the vast majority of smoking ban people are, by definition, evil.  They know what is right and wrong and they choose wrong.  

[Gabz]

If the smokers would go buy their smokes elsewhere that would really cut some revenue.

Better yet - make your own. Not only are you not paying the exhorbitant cigarette taxes (you still pay some tax, but loose tobacco is taxed differently) you avoid paying the extra 45cents per pack to cover the coasts of the Master Settlement Agreeement.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

It's an Arturo Fuente morning.

[Great Dane]

It's a shame that the retailers aren't getting their commission and it's a shame that the schools aren't getting the 25 cents of every dollar that they would have been getting," Hapeman said.

Gee, yesterday it was a mere 6 cents on the dollar.

[Gabz]

You won't get an argument from me on that.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I think I'll start. Send me more info on products. I haven't rolled a cigarette since the early 70's.

[metesky]

State legislators are considering two proposals that would weaken a new state smoking ban by allowing people to light up in bars and restaurants that build stand-alone smoking rooms, or are operated by their owners.

See my bar here? I hereby proclaim the entire bar a stand alone smoking room.

[Gabz]

She Lion - I need your incredible set of links for making your own cigarettes. I don't have mine handy.

Flurry - the outfit we use to purchase our machine, a supematicII is www.abstobaccoshop.com

And we purchase our tobacco from a local tobacco/cigarette outlet.

Our cigarettes run between 6 and 7 dollars a carton and it takes my husband about an hour watching TV to make a carton for himself and a bit longer for me because I prefer 100s.

[Outraged At FLA]

"If the smokers would go buy their smokes elsewhere that would really cut some revenue."

That's what the Internet is for! The state and especially NYC where smokes are 6-7 dollars a pack are losing money daily by people either purchasing from the Internet, or the new tobacco black market created by the Nazi's.

"They know a bar or restaurant is private property. They know full well. It's just that they are not getting things exactly their way if there is smoke in the air. "

This is exactly the point. A restaurant or bar is not a public place, it is a private establishment. The smoking Nazi's in my area were real happy when they passed the smoking bans in restaurants a couple years ago. When having a conversation with one of them, I told them, fine, I just won't go to dinner in Dutchess county, I will go to Ulster county instead.

When you say that, they give you that look like they are trying to think of a way to ruin that for you and force you somehow to go to the nonsmoking restaurant.

I have stopped going to many of my old favorite restaurants because of their no smoking bans, and that list will increase to almost 100% if and when this new state law goes into effect. Same for the bars.

If the state legislatures really think this will not hurt business (sometimes I doubt they really believe that), they will soon find out different.

[ImphClinton]

But isn't making cigarettes more addictive depriving you of at least some of that freedon. Many have been unable to quit smoking even after many attempts.

If the companies made the cigarettes less addictive their sales would drop. Thus to keep sales increasing they made them more addictive. This was a financial decission and they were knowingly stopping smokers from quitting. Seems they do bare some responsibility.

Don't get me wrong though I am very happy this was overturned. It was way too much money. The smoker was more responsible than the manufacturer.

In a fair world the CEO's and others that decided to addict more somkers and thus kill them would be sentenced to death for murder. But the rich are almost always protected from the many crimes they commit. A rich man steals 500 Million from a bank through fraud and a meaningless fine or in some cases three years or so. A poor man robs the same bank and spends many years in prison.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Thanks. $3-4.00 a pack because of layers and layers of tax is getting old.

[Gabz]

If the state legislatures really think this will not hurt business (sometimes I doubt they really believe that), they will soon find out different.

Oh, they know all right - they just don't care. I actually received a letter from the Governor of Delaware - it was a form letter, everyone I know got the same one - that stated they KNEW business would be hurt with the ban.

In Delaware the smoking ban has been good for a number of bars and restaurants - those that are near the state line in MARYLAND and PENNSYLVANIA.

I lived in Delaware for 21 years and last month moved to Virginia - about an hour from the Delaware line - so I hear the stories down here from folks about how hard hit the bars and restaurants are in Delaware, and I had already known that before I moved.

[Gabz]

Another alternative, at least temporarily is to purchase cigarettes made by the S&M Brands cigarette company out of Kellysville, VA.

They are much cheaper than PM or RJR because they don't pay into the Master Settlement Agreement. Their 2 brands are Bailey's and Tahoe. The taxes are still there, but not the excess MSA money. In both Delaware and Virginia they run more than $10 less a carton than the majors and the Tahoes are another 42-3 bucks cheaper.

[Outraged At FLA]

"I lived in Delaware for 21 years and last month moved to Virginia"

You wont have to worry about any smoking bans there, thats for sure!

[Conspiracy Guy]

I clicked to the site and started checking it out. It's not the money. It's where it's going. Maybe this is the answer to all the government interferrence. They have started their Nazi Radio Brainwashing here in Alabama. I'm sure settlement money is paying for the crap propaganda and it's getting on my nerves. Called my C&W radio station yesterday and told them if they continue to run the ad's they lose a listener, then followed up with email. The person on the phone said she was getting a lot of calls on the subject, she said this is bigger than the Dixie Chicks thing (they haven't been played here in months). So I'm hopeful.

[Madame Dufarge]

New York lost more than $500,000 in lottery sales after hundreds of bars and restaurants unplugged their lottery machines to protest the statewide smoking ban in businesses, officials said Thursday.

I love these guys (sniff).

[cake_crumb]

" 'A lot of them (customers) are saving money from not losing money on Quick Draw and they have more money to spend on drinking,' Shastany said"

Not if they refuse to sit in the bar and play quick draw they won't.

[Outraged At FLA]

Bump.