Bennigans' Closed After Filing For Bankruptcy
Clearing the Air has updated our local listings to reflect the Bennigan's story. Locally 250+ hospitality establishments have closed their doors and laid off employees since smoking ban (Nicoderm funded) activists testified before lawmakers that smoking bans were good for business.
CTA continually updates the list of closings here in Minnesota, the lists can found here:
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2008/06/200-minnesota-bars-restaurants-closed.html
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2005/11/updated-hennepin-ramsey-hospitality.html
Not many people realize who funded the activist groups to push the smoking ban agenda, it was the maker of Nicoderm; Johnson & Johnson Company's private foundation RWJF.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/02/smoking-bans-good-public-policy-or.html
Clearly the thousands of closed establishments and tens of thousands of unemployed hospitality workers have a class action claim against Johnson & Johnson Company and their private foundation the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
Smoking bans are a classic example of rent seeking legislation: where a company gets lawmakers to pass laws which financially benefits them. In this case increasing Nicoderm sales, by outlawing tobacco smoke in bars, restaurants, etc.
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/12/minnesota-smoking-ban-triples-demand-of.html