Clearing The Air

Monday, December 12, 2005

Mainstream local media has an agenda regarding smoking bans.........

........ so don't expect them to give you the truth.

For the economic impact of the smoking ban......we'll turn to King Banian economics professor, friend, cigar aficionado, and all around good free market conservative to explain what the pro-smoking ban zealots won't: Aggregate data bias.

Further to note the Pioneer Press used aggregate data which attempted to diminish the smoking ban effect. It should also be noted that the data was collected during summer season sales, when smokers dining and drinking at outdoor patios still added to the sales of business establishments ; obviously in winter as the patios are closed those sales continue to decline at a rapid pace.

The smoking ban zealots hand picked the data they wanted the media and local lawmakers to see......data which minimized the appearance (facts) of any financial harm.

One item of interest, note the liquor sales losses in Bloomington (table below) '04-05 versus '03-'04. A cumulative swing in liquor sales of -9.42%. This is the very same data Bloomington city council members looked at in September '05 in re-evaluating their smoking ban.....their final determination.....they would leave the smoking ban as is.

A nearly -10% swing in revenue for the city of Bloomington is apparently acceptable. If I were paying taxes in Bloomington I'd start a petition to impeach......no Bloomington taxpayer should stand for that kind of mismanagement. And the city I grew up in, Plymouth isn't much better.

Anti-business my dear liberal council members there is no other way to call it.