What claptrap. Restaurants are opening and closing all the time and we have more restaurants than we could possibly support in this metro area in any event. For most good restaurants, the smoking ban has boosted business. Alcohol sales dip when smokers can't smoke. Alcohol sales slumps in bars is hardly something to cry about.
Moreover, a quick check of the economic barometers will reveal that all business everywhere is down. The economy is back in a slump. Jobs are scarce - and getting more scarce as time goes on. When all this happens you can watch a geometric increase in what are already pockets of poverty in the shadows of affluence in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- "The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato "Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity." Lord Acton on 10/19/05 6:39 PM, Dan McGrath wrote: > Hasn't anyone considered that restaurants, and bars may be closing due to > the gigantic drop in patronage following the March 31st implementation of > the Minneapolis and Hennepin County smoking bans? Since the ban(s) took > effect, 40 bars and several (don't have the exact number) restaurants in > Minneapolis have closed. My favorite pub (Molly Quinn's) is probably closing > in a couple weeks. The owner has already laid off all staff, and cut back to > 7 hours a day. Many owners have tried to combat the drop in business with > nice new patios, but are finding that that only slightly mitigates the > losses. Now that winter is upon us, we are likely to see another surge of > closings. 1400 jobs have already been lost in the hospitality industry, and > that doesn't even account for the cuts in hours for those hospitality > employees who have managed to keep their jobs. > > I've been watching this discussion for a while now, wondering if anyone > would draw a link to the smoking ban. To my chagrin, listers seem to prefer > not to consider that possibility, and instead turn to ideas about local > ownership, chain vs. small small business operation, et-c, ignoring the > obvious. Chain operations are more likely to be able to weather the storm, > as they can afford losses until the smaller competitors have been killed > off. Once the number of bars and resturants has been sufficiently decimated, > the big boys who held on will probably begin turning profits again. > > Who benefits from a smoking ban in Minneapolis? Large, rich corporations: > Chain operators from out of state; Giant pharmaceutical companies (whose > addictive products cost twice what tobacco does).. > > Who suffers under it? Small, local business owners, working stiffs in the > hospitality industry (ironically, the very people the bans are ostensibly in > place to protect), and everyone who has the guts to make their own > decisions. > > The price of progress, right? My own elected city representative has been > heard to say, "bowlers and smokers are expendable" Seems to be a common > attitude among the "progressive" elite. > > Dan McGrath > Longfellow > http://www.shegstad.us > > REMINDERS: > 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If > you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn > E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > > REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
