Clearing The Air

Don't piss on our heads & tells us it's raining.......

Our local American Lunger organization spokesman attempts to refute business losses & closings by saying:

Let's see what the taxman says about bar and restaurant income at the end of the year. Until then, you guys are just blowing smoke.

Well lunger let me give you a preview,

Specifically, the following statewide economic losses have occurred in New York's bar and tavern industry as a direct result of the statewide smoking ban:

2,000 jobs (10.7% of actual employment)
$28.5 million in wages and salary payments
$37 million in gross state product

In addition, there are indirect losses to other businesses which supply and service the state's bars and taverns:

650 jobs
$21.5 million in labor earnings
$34.5 million in gross state product

In summary, the enactment of the New York State smoking ban has had a dramatic negative impact on the bar and tavern business and related businesses. The total economic impact is:

2650 jobs
$50 million in worker earnings
$71.5 million in gross state product (output)

this study conducted by REA and its Founder, Brian O'Connor, Ph.D.

For twenty-five years, he has worked with IBM and customer executives to help them assess the impact of economic conditions on their businesses, to anticipate developments in their markets and to track their performance against potential.

For the last few years, Brian has held the position of Senior Technical Consultant to Texas Perspectives, Inc., an economic consulting firm based in Austin, Texas which specializes in regional economic and public policy analysis.

bob the lunger continues telling us here why losing your business or job is still just a figment of our imagination.

Did you note that the April 2005 employment report for MN showed the 2nd highest category of new jobs was in the hospitality industry?

Looking back a month ago, jobs looked ok yet bob......let me see what happened since then...a smoking ban? Let me point out that hospitality also includes fast food establishments and amusement parks, which see no impact; since most were already non-smoking of their own accord.

So far Bloomington Park Tavern closed its doors (according to a comment) , ditto Larry's Lounge in Long Lake; the two establishments which were the media darlings for the anti-smoking advocates Tavern on Grand & Glockenspiel in Ramsey applied for waivers to again allow smoking to stop the business losses. And then there is the Mpls. media darling Bryant Lake Bowl, who cheered R.T. Rybak signing the ordinance to their demise. I stopped there three weeks into the ban and waitstaff informed me there is a serious downturn in business; however being on the Mpls side of the river, there is no waiver to stop the hemorrhaging.

Yeah, lunger by the end of the year the average citizen will have forgotten all about the lost businesses and lost jobs................ let's all wait patiently til the end of the year, it'll be a fun surprise to see who is still in business.

I have a better idea...... for those bars & restaurants who want a fighting chance and instead of just closing your doors....remember it's not your job to pull the cigarette out of your customers lips....it's your job to hang up the no-smoking sign. If I owned a bar losing 50% business because customers can't smoke, I'd look the other way; what have I got to lose? If I don't let them smoke I lose the business, if they light up and I get a ticket......oh well ......I'm still in business.

Would I advocate breaking the law? of course not. Do I advocate breaking a law paid for and written by the pharmaceutical nicotine industry?.....abso-fricken-lutely.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 7:17 PM