County-wide Smoking Ban Supporters Hope to Ride Momentum From Win in O'Fallon

To all you who think the business owners should be allowed to make their own decisions about their business keep this in mind:

A business is PART of a community, and as such has to live by its rules. NOT make its own.

If you think business owners should get to decide, what if they decide to not hire or serve you because of your race, weight, age, etc. Remember it is their business right?

Smoking is NOT a right. Stop saying it.

Smoke all you want, burn your lungs up, the sooner the better. However, the key word was YOUR, not my lungs. Get a smoking helmet and pump more smoke in your lungs just so I dont have to breathe it.

State of MO has the lowest tax/pack on cigarettes. If we raised to National Average, the State would get $800m/year...fact. Do your research. That would put the state in a surplus vs. the deficit we are currently in.

Ill be happy to stop doing something I like to do if it is putting your life in danger. Ooops, cant think of one can you....

Walk around WalMart or your Dr. office and see all the old people breathing with air tanks, hoses....or listening the the smoker emphasyma cough....YEP, makes me want to light up. Ask them if they wish they would have never smoked.

THEN make your stupid argument for smoking....

Oh yea, remember when the big concern was that if St. Charles County outlawed smoking in public everyone would go to St. Louis establishments.....

Hmmmm. St. Louis County banned it in January, so I guess St. Charles restaurants are booming? NOT.

Another shallow stupid argument proven wrong.

The "leave everything to the free market" argument would still have us buying and selling slaves.

Child labor would be the backbone of our industry.

Lead-based paint would be peeling off the walls all over the place.

Catalytic converters would never have diminished the level of pollution coming from automobiles.

One or two other things might still be causing trouble. One or two.

I'm a smoker! I make a good living, spend my money where I choose. I choose not to spend my money where I'm not welcome. Simple as that!
Allen

Hugh...not sure what your statement has to do with anything.

Allen...it is a free country. You are welcome everywhere except if your nasty habit put me or my kids health in danger....simple as that.

Buford Pussy wrote:

Hugh...not sure what your statement has to do with anything.
Allen...it is a free country. You are welcome everywhere except if your nasty habit put me or my kids health in danger....simple as that.

Well your not welcome and keep your nasty children out of our establishments!

Buford Pusser wrote:

Hugh...not sure what your statement has to do with anything.

My response was to the notion that smoke-free businesses should only be there if economic pressure forced the proprietor to bar smoking, and that smoking should be allowed if it made it easier for the proprietor to make a living.

Editorial.....I wonder if you will hate kids in 20 years when you need them to pay for your Medicaid? Or your oxygen tank? If you own a business, which is unlikely given your lack of foresight, you may want them "nasty" children as customers someday.

Feel free to post the name of your establishment so we can stay away. If I don't see the name, it will confirm you are just another desperate smoker clinging to any stupid statement to justify your paying extra to kill yourself. Hahaha

I'll do you a favor, I'll even tell others with nasty kids and non-smokers to stay away

Hugh. Smoking does nothing to make it "easier" to make a living. If it is banned in all establishments it is neutral. It actually adds to the cost of providing employee benefits

Oh yeah I am sure some will argue they will drive to the next county or state just to be able to smoke. Again we are dealing with someone who is paying extra to destroy their body so why worry about the intelligence of driving 50 miles to do it.

Look at the stats. There was not an increased failure rate o restaurants in NY city but I guess it would be different in fallen

Buford Pusser wrote:

Hugh. Smoking does nothing to make it "easier" to make a living. If it is banned in all establishments it is neutral. It actually adds to the cost of providing employee benefits
Oh yeah I am sure some will argue they will drive to the next county or state just to be able to smoke. Again we are dealing with someone who is paying extra to destroy their body so why worry about the intelligence of driving 50 miles to do it.
Look at the stats. There was not an increased failure rate o restaurants in NY city but I guess it would be different in fallen

Actually, if smokers don't have to get up and step outside to indulge, they may sit and drink longer before realizing that they have better things to do. In fact, they may decide they are too far gone for the other things and stay till closing.

Once on their feet and outside, though, the gravity of the barstool isn't so strong.

Great Hugh. Now not only do they smoke more but then they stay longer, drink more, get in their car and kill someone....yep, I certainly see how that is good for business.

Buford Pusser wrote:

Great Hugh. Now not only do they smoke more but then they stay longer, drink more, get in their car and kill someone....yep, I certainly see how that is good for business.

I think you may have me confused with someone who thinks it is "good for business" in a GOOD way. I brought these points into the discussion as an explanation of what people are arguing for when they argue AGAINST me.

The entire argument regarding leaving this issue to be determined by "free market forces" rests on the ability of barkeepers to make better money if they can keep smokers from getting up and stepping outside. The better that argument is understood the faster it will be laughed out of the room.