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I can add a couple of closings myself, and too many empty places to name (all on Long Island).

One closing was (surprisingly) a chain restaurant that had a very popular Happy Hour crowd. After the ban, I guess the Happy Hour crowd stayed home, because just last week I drove by the place and it was boarded up with a hand-written cardboard sign on its door that said, "THANKS PATAKI."

Another place that hit the skids was a bowling alley. This place had been in business for many, many years, but after the ban the old guy leagues stopped going and I guess the young single crowd, too, because now...it's gone. They took a wrecking ball to it last month and now it's going to be a bank.

As for the empty places, well...I can't see how they can stay in business much longer with things the way they are. They are sparsely populated most of the time, and on top of that, they're giving away their shirts in order to attract the customers that used to just waltz right in. I saw one place with a sign that said "BOTTOMLESS MUGS -- ALL YOU CAN DRINK BEERS -- $10.95." And folks...this was on a FRIDAY night.

Thanks, Pataki indeed!

Regards,

I will have to disagree with you on 2 of your items. The bowling alley one seems a long shot to be the fault of the smoking ban. The closing was probably in the works for a long time. Banks don't just up and decided to buy a building, wrecking ball it, and build a branch over night. That had been in the works for some time.

And the all you can drink special may or may not be related to the smoking ban. It is not all that uncommon for bars to have a one price, all you can drink night. The bars I used to go to in Buffalo were only $5!!! $10.95 is highway robbery!

Unless you smoke outside away from everyone, you are causing future misery without any consideration of anyone else.

And that is the strawman argum,ent from the gnatzies - businesses will not be hurt. Busines wlll no be hurt??? my left foot.