Smoking Ban

From: Michael Thompson [mthomps@mninter.net]
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 10:32 AM
To: Ray Marshall; Andy Driscoll; Minneapolis Issues
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Smoking Ban

You know, Ray, I agree with your post. In my treatises on the ban,
one of the points I made long ago was the undercurrent of
paternalism inherent in this ban. Smoking, for the most part, an
activity of the lower socioeconomicclasses. The enlightened
elitists of Minneapolis made an attempt to protectthe less
enlightened working stiffs of this city against themselves. The
arrogance of this stance disgusts me. This faux benevolence is so
typical of Minnesotans.......

"Minnesota nice" delivered to you, for your own good,
with another ban. And if a few bar owners----and their employees
----lose their jobs, I guess that's tough.

For (maybe) the last time, everyone: the latest board move was
about compromise. Compromise is what happens in a democracy
(unless you're a "Progressive"). Anyway, now ban-proponents can
still find bars where there is no smoke so they can wear the same
shirt the next day and still believe that they've saved the life
of someone, somewhere (maybe an ill-informed waitperson or a
bartender)..... while smokers can find a bar where they can smoke.

Smoking ban proponents may have lost this battle, but their brand
of restrictive authoritarianism can still win the war. Fortunately
for us who value freedom, the war is fought on many fronts.
Someday, somewhere, a ban will be imposed that is as equally
restricting to smoking ban proponents as this current ban is to
those of us who value free will over the illusion of safety. And,
as I've said before, it will be too late to do anything about it
then, for we will have already sold our souls to the government to
protect us from the very choices we choose to make. But that
doesn't matter to ban proponents, as long as they don't have to
wash their hair after a night of jazz.........

Mike Thompson
Windom


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Marshall To: "Andy Driscoll" ;
"Minneapolis Issues"
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 4:05 AM
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Smoking Ban

> Poor people don't have a lot of options in life and have even fewer
> pleasures.

> It's very tiresome to see the middle classes (now, or of the future
> in the case of the young) crusading to have other people mend their
> ways.

> I suspect that the middle classes have a few bad habits that I might
> like to see eliminated.

> What will we expect the poor to do with the money they will save
> from being forced to quit smoking? Caribbean cruises; climbing Mt.
> Kilimanjaro; perhaps buying a Lexus (to park on the street)? Going
> to graduate school (after they get their GED)?

> What will they be doing with the extra 7 years they will have at
> the end of their life? Join a country club and hang out with non-
> smoking members of the middle class?

> Most people probably will quit smoking over time. Many won't,
> just to be obstinate when someone tells them what they must do.

> There are maybe 100 million jobs in this country. Very few of
> them are in bars or restaurants where smoking is prohibited. I
> suggest that those who don't like second hand smoke should not seek
> work in those establishments.

> They can probably make more money doing the noon rush in a
> Perkins or similar restaurant catering to the speedy lunch crowd
> with a half dozen table turnovers.