RSS 2.0 FeedVirginia Governor Supports Statewide Smoking Ban
by Doug MataconisVirginia Governor Tim Kaine signaled his support yesterday for a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and bars:
RICHMOND – Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said Friday he would like to snuff out smoking in all Virginia restaurants, but he won’t push for a statewide ban unless lawmakers signal their support.
Kaine said health care groups have asked him to add the statewide restaurant ban to legislation passed last month that merely requires eateries to post signs if they allow smoking.
“I am actively looking at that,” he said. “I don’t know that there are any cons.”
What about the fact that it deprives business owners of the right to decide for themselves whether they want to cater to smokers or not ? I keep asking advocates of smoking bans why they aren’t willing to let the market decide this issue. After all, is smoking is as unpopular as they claim it to be, and if people really would prefer to eat at restaurants that ban it altogether, it won’t be long before restaurant owners recognize this and start banning smoking in their establishments. And if there are bars out there that allow people to smoke, so what ? Don’t go there if you don’t like it, and tell the owner why.
Unfortunately, the anti-smoking crowd isn’t as open-minded as this business owner:
Greg Mazarakis Jr., owner of Regino’s restaurant in Norfolk said his customers are happy that the eatery is smoke-free. He said the decision has saved him money because the smoke ruins upholstery, curtains and ceiling tiles.
However, Mazarakis said, it’s unfair to force mandates on other restaurants.
“I agree smoking is unhealthy and it’s something I choose not to do,” he said. “But I just hate to see decisions being taken away from restaurant owners.”
Now, tell me why he’s wrong.
H/T: Vivian Paige
Cross-Posted at Below The Beltway
The tobacco war is an exercise in junk science and political corruption. It’s a precedent for control of the food supply and sexual expression. It should be opposed by freedom loving people everywhere.
The problem is that people don’t love freedom. Amazing but true.
Comment by ed — March 3, 2007 @ 9:33 amI have been watching this story for the last few weeks, and I would be majorly disappointed if Gov. Kaine ends up backing Sen. Brandon Bell’s misguided effort to amend the current signage proposal into a full smoking ban in al restaurants(not to mention I’ve begun to fear Gov. Kaine may be starting to cave in, and support unnecessary restrictions on smoking). After all, restaurants are PRIVATE establishments, and NO ONE is being forced to enter restaurants that allow smoking. Not to mention that TONS of restaurants have moved to be voluntarily smoke-free in recent years, so I dunno why antis would want to force every last restaurant to be smoke-free against their will(all I know is this definately goes to show how selfish their lobbies are, and how disingenuous anti-smoking groups are).
I do not smoke, and I am not opposed to some smoking bans/restrictons, as long as they are imposed ONLY IN truly public places/areas, and are not unreasonable(such as in government buildings, and like the Executive Order that Gov. Kaine imposed last year on government buildings that I don’t have a problem with). However, I feel as long as tobacco is a legal product, government has NO right to force private establishments into banning a legal product against their will.
Ed is right-on about his comments about this issue. Smoking bans have already been proven to be nothing more than based on bogus junk science. I really hope Virginia doesn’t go the route of other states(a la Delaware, Washington state, Ohio) that have taken away the rights of businesses owners to operate as they please.
Why can’t incentives, or waiving certain fees for restaurants/bars, or other private establishments be done, instead of forcing businesses against their will to be smoke free? I feel this would work much better than forcing an unjust smoking ban on all establishments(not to mention such a program has already proven to be successful in Carbondale, IL, a town that also rejected a smoking ban last year).
Comment by Allan — March 3, 2007 @ 3:07 pmThe restaurant owner is wrong because from a political standpoint it is all about power and control. How can the politicians and do-gooders have power and control if they leave it up to the business owners and there customers.
The free-market is all about individual people making there own choices. Other people who like power and control over others don’t like it that others are allowed to make choices that don’t agree with there will. Thus we have law after law about taking away peoples rights and choices.
Comment by TerryP — March 3, 2007 @ 3:35 pmYep, I totally understand what you’re saying, TerryP. And I realize too that’s the main reason these politicans are campaigning for a statewide smoking ban in restaurants.
At least there still are intelligent politicans in many states, as evidenced by defeats of increased smoking restrictions and/or taxes this year in North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Indiana. It’s sad though that unnecessary smoking restrictions look likely to pass in certain states this year(namely New Hampshire, which successfully voted down a proposed smoking ban last year in their Senate, but sadly passed this year, since several of the people who fought for property rights were defeated in November, and faced opponents aided by anti-smoking lobby groups).
Right now, I’m just crossing my fingers that the Illinois’ legislature somehow defeats a proposed smoking ban this year. It’s even more sickening, since the Illinois legislature ONLY just voted to allow local control of smoking regulations to individual towns/cities and counties to decide this issue for unincorporated areas, and now the stupid Chicago liberals in the Illinois legislature want to take local control and property rights away from towns and businesses throughout my state…… *ugh*
Comment by Allan — March 6, 2007 @ 5:00 pm…erm, meant to add that the ‘local control’ law(for local smoking regulations) was only passed less than 11/2 years ago, and the one for counties(to regulate smoking in unincorporated areas, which I should add, ONLY 2 out of 102 counties have taken advantage of) only passed in the middle of last year. I SO hate the fregging influence of Chicago(land) liberal nannies in this state, which let’s face it, what those dummies are(not to also mention that EVERY politician that has decided to co-sponsor the current smoking ban bills in the Illinois legislature is from Chicago or some suburb of it, and it really annoys me). Just goes to show how this part of Illinois has WAY too much influence in the IL Legislature…
Comment by Allan — March 6, 2007 @ 5:09 pmThe restaurant owner was absolutely correct. While I personally despise cigarette smoke (it reeks, stinks up my clothes, I can’t breathe in it, etc), the government has ZERO right to come in and tell a business owner what they can and cannot allow as far as smoking is concerned.
Come on, people. If you’re like me and hate cigarette smoke, then vote with your CONSUMER DOLLAR, not freedom-infringing legislation.
Would the government please butt out of our private lives already?
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