Posted on 01/13/2006 5:28:46 AM PST by Cagey
TRENTON, N.J. - With curious officeworkers gawking and strip-bar standards playing in the background, several hundred people joined a handful of exotic dancers in front of the Statehouse on Thursday to rally against New Jersey‘s new indoor smoking ban.
"It‘s going to murder our business," said Dominique Hernandez, 24, who dances at a lounge in Florence. "A lot of people want to get off of work, have a drink and a smoke and watch some pretty girls. There‘s nothing wrong with that."
"I‘m just passing by on the way to the office," was the refrain from many men, and some women, in the crowd.
"I‘ve been a smoker since I was 13 and it‘s really against our rights," said Allan Brophy, 24, of Union. "Pretty soon they‘re going to be outlawing it in our houses."
The rally, trumpeted by two radio shock jocks, featured signs that read "Defy Anti-Smoking Nazis" and "Tobacco Control Is Out of Control." In the background, a loudspeaker blared typical strip bar tunes such as "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and "Girls, Girls, Girls."
The ban, which affects bars and restaurants — but not gambling areas of casinos — is to be signed into law Sunday by Gov. Richard J. Codey.
Alan Blumenfeld, owner of a Mount Holly club described as a "gentlemen‘s day care center," said the smoking ban will drive away customers, who he said will cross the Delaware River to Philadelphia, where there are no such bans.
The raucous crowd often interrupted the speakers — who included club owners and the radio hosts — with shouts of "Codey Don‘t Sign" and expletives proclaiming their dislike for the ban.
Codey, who was holding an unrelated news conference inside the Statehouse while the rally was taking place, joked that he would make his event quick so reporters could go outside. But, he said, the protest wouldn‘t change his vow to sign the legislation.
Carton and co-host Ray Rossi have garnered headlines in the past. Last year, they made disparaging comments about Codey‘s wife, who has talked publicly of her struggle with postpartum depression.
Before the rally, the radio hosts said they decided to team up with strippers to spotlight the issue because strip clubs would be the first businesses to be hurt under the anti-smoking legislation.
And, said Carton, "Strippers get people‘s attention."
Thursday‘s rally took take place one week into the winter ratings period for radio stations.
Age of purchase was raised to 19 y.o. now too.
I used to live right behind Satin Dolls (aka Bada Bing). I have been there a couple of times. The show does an accurate re-creation of the interior.
If they're so freakin' concerned for our health and want to protect us from this "deadly" product why don't they just criminalize all tobacco products.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing most people don't go to strip clubs so that they can "light one up."
I wonder if so many FReepers would be so laxidasical about this if, instead of tobacco, it was guns being banned everywhere?
Don't worry, they will be going after them soon enough.
So wait...it's OK to get blasted drunk and watch naked women...but SMOKING is so horrible it must be banned?
The government needs to stay the hell out of our lives.
Too right. The Casinos mostly have some non-smoking tables and areas, but that's not good enough for the bars. Oh no. NJ is so dirty. I thought Corzine was going to be the governor there, btw, after the homo left.
One day one of the libertarians was taunting the smokers on a smoking thread, and said they had warned us they'd be coming for us when they got tired of them. Seems like they hardly enforce drug laws anymore.
One note about "Book Of Daniel". The family had somebody into just about everything, but thank God nobody smoked!
I bet people don't get as drunk if they can't smoke. Makes them want to move on sooner.
I don't know about getting "as drunk" but they do far less drinking in the bars when they can't smoke..........Take it from someone that still lived in Delaware when the ban went into effect. Fortunately for where I lived, Maryland was pretty close, so we just stopped spending mney in Delawae and started spending it in Maryland.
I knew so many folks on my ship who told me that they only smoke when they go to bars.
Ridiculous! "Back in the day" you could have said you had stopped for a cup of coffee if you smelled smokey!
All that everything is good, but smoking is baaaaad, so it was left out? Yeaaaargh: "NJ - come see for yourself" (crooked politicians smoking in the casinos)
Actually, there was a choir practice scene where the choirmaster said "10 minute break, no smoking," but I suppose he must have meant marijuana.
It's scraping the bottom of the barrel to be a stripper in Newark or Hoboken as it is but what are the poor gals to do?
The Democrats will kill their business by instituting smoking bans. The Republicans will kill their business by outlawing public nudity.
Life was easier for them when they could rely on a governor who took gay lovers.
In Oregon, across the river from me, Live Sex Acts on stage are legally protected now. Of course, they too are striving to put in a smoking ban, to protect the 'performers,' I'm sure.
Naturally, I blamed everyone else. As a sign of how the times have changed, she bought the "explanation" since so many kids smoked.
Including me ;-).
NO.....do you mean we have to fight back?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.