Clearing The Air

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

As the Republican convention comes to St. Paul MN delegates will surely note the massive number of hospitality closings due to liberal policies

Those liberal policies enacted by liberal lawmakers yielded the business crippling smoking bans which resulted in 258+ closed bars and restaurants, and approximately 10,000 laid off workers.

CTA sincerely hopes that the typically free market leaning Republican Party takes advantage of the reality (crumbling business climate) imposed by anti-business, socialist, liberal policymakers (a.k.a. Democrats) as a primary reason that no Democrat should be elected to any position of leadership this November 4.

So enjoy your stay here in the Twin Cities, you should be well rested by the time you leave since local Democrats (and a few wayward liberal Republicans) have all but eliminated any nightlife here in Minnesota.

Update: Just ahead of the RNC convention about to start here in Minnesota, St. Paul and Minneapolis police are conducting numerous raids of liberal, Democratic sympathizers a.k.a. "anarchists" who appear armed and ready to conduct violence against convention attendees. Interestingly enough to us at Clearing the Air, one of the most vocal critics of police pre-emptive raids is none other than smoking ban instigator and cheerleader.......St. Paul city council member comrade Dave "anti-business", "anti-free market" Thune.

"I'm really ticked off...the city is perfectly capable of taking care of things," Thune said. "If they had found anything that could have been used to commit a crime they would have arrested somebody."

And it sounds to me Davey boy like that's exactly what the city did.........."take care of things"

Said Thune: "Unless they come up with anthrax or weapons of mass destruction, I think they came up short."

Keep in mind liberal DFL members er, I mean anarchists; Republicans are law abiding, 2nd amendment accessory carrying citizens. It is their right and duty to defend themselves with force if necessary.

BTW, as a card carrying NRA member I extend an open invitation to volunteer my services to St. Paul and Minneapolis police departments during the RNC. Have guns will travel.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Barack Hussein Obama's connection to terrorist group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m89m0pC_bpY

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Review of Minnesota smoking ban law indicates that lawmakers were aware that their actions would eliminate businesses and jobs

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?id=82&year=2007&type=0

Language added to the Minnesota smoking ban was as follows:

(c) "Dislocated worker" means an individual who is a resident of Minnesota at the time employment ceased or was working in the state at the time employment ceased and:
(1) has been permanently separated or has received a notice of permanent separation from public or private sector employment and is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment benefits, and is unlikely to return to the previous industry or occupation;
(2) has been long-term unemployed and has limited opportunities for employment or reemployment in the same or a similar occupation in the area in which the individual resides, including older individuals who may have substantial barriers to employment by reason of age;
(3) has been self-employed..........and is unemployed as a result of

(4) has been permanently separated from employment in a restaurant, bar, or lawful gambling organization from October 1, 2007, to October 1, 2009, due to the implementation of any state law prohibiting smoking;

Sec. 13. DISLOCATED WORKER PROGRAM; ALLOCATION OF FUNDS. The Job Skills Partnership Board must enable the dislocated worker program under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.17, to provide services under that program to employees of bars, restaurants, and lawful gambling organizations who become unemployed from October 1, 2007, to October 1, 2009, due to the provisions of this act.

Sec. 14. FREEDOM TO BREATHE ACT. This act shall be referred to as the "Freedom to Breathe Act of 2007."

MN lawmakers were right about the job losses caused by the smoking bans. 400+ establishments are now closed, leaving approximately 10,000 MN hospitality workers unemployed, not to mention unemployed suppliers to the local hospitality industry such as yours truly.

And remember the economy, business, and jobs damaging smoking ban was promoted almost exclusively by Democrat (DFL) lawmakers who voted approximately 85-95% in favor of smoking bans....Republicans voted approximately 85-95% in favor of PRIVATE hospitality owners making their own business decisions....see vote link here:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/issue_view.php?id=70

This language indicates that DFL lawmakers were aware that smoking bans were bad for business and jobs yet they enacted this economy destroying legislation anyway. That shows malice and culpabilty as far as I'm concerned.

As to the claim that secondhand smoke is a health hazard, air quality test results by Johns Hopkins University, the American Cancer Society, a Minnesota Environmental Health Department, and various researchers whose testing and report was peer reviewed and published in the esteemed British Medical Journal......prove that secondhand smoke is 2.6 - 25,000 times SAFER than occupational (OSHA) workplace regulations:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2010/10/air-quality-testing-of-secondhand-smoke.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-st-louis-aq-study-published-by.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/11/johns-hopkins-air-quality-testing-of.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/04/bmj-published-air-quality-test-results.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2004/04/american-cancer-society-test-results.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/02/air-quality-testing-and-secondhand.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2008/03/british-medical-journal-who-conclude.html

All nullify the argument that secondhand smoke is a workplace health hazard.

Especially since federal OSHA regulations trump, or pre-empt, state smoking ban laws which are not based on scientific air quality test results.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Smoking ban's effect on Minnesota hospitality industry continues

Find the current list of 258+ closings here:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html

Hospitality businesses throughout the state employ(ed) more than 127,000 people and pay(ed) $3.3 billion in wages each year making our industry Minnesota's second-largest employer. Annual sales for the industry exceed(ed) $8.3 billion and generate nearly $1 billion in tax receipts (pre-2005).

Update: Since the smoking bans were enacted in 2005, however, the Minnesota hospitality industry data above has changed significantly. MN Democratic (DFL) lawmakers were 3 - 4 times more likely to vote for anti-business initiatives like smoking bans (roll call vote link) than their Republican counterparts.

If you're concerned about the anti-business policies of Minnesota's city council members, mayors, county commissioners, and state legislators; remember November elections are around the corner, your vote against the Democratic candidate in any and all positions is a vote to keep Minnesota in business, jobs intact, and taxes lower.

Vote free market this November vote Republican.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Democrat lawmakers in U.S. House and Senate provide the most compelling reason NOT to vote Democrat in the upcoming November '08 election

CTA rarely deviates from its pro free market message regarding smoking bans, however; this issue is one that affects every American consumer and voter.

U.S. Democratic lawmakers blocked any attempts by Republican lawmakers to allow exploration and drilling of domestic oil sources........thereby insuring a serious supply shortage of domestic oil, and subsequent increased fuel prices at the pump. To add insult to injury, Democratic lawmakers then call for a Capitol Hill recess, ensuring that free market exploration is dead for another session. Not to mention the fact that the Democratic policy of no new U.S. oil production means we will continue to be enslaved by foreign oil.

This move was a gross miscalculation by Democrats. Failing to understand that Democrats as well as Republicans are equally raped at the gas pump these days, Democratic lawmakers seem hell bent to cut off the supply of fuel in some warped, delusional belief that we'll all dispose of our combustion engine cars and immediately purchase an electric vehicle. Nevermind the fact that the technology for such a pipe dream is decades away.

Rather than see the glass as half empty, I applaud this move by Democrats. It's an absolute gift to Republicans and free market enthusiasts to make such a bold manuever prior to elections. Every Republican in every election and locale needs to capitalize on this anti-energy tactic put forth by Democrats as the very reason Democrats must not be elected to any position in 2008.

Tired of $4.00+ / gallon gasoline? Republicans are the party trying to increase domestic supply, Democrats on the other hand block such efforts, and eventually are Absent Without Leave.

According to this story, Pelosi and congressional Democrats think voters are too stupid to blame the shortage of domestic oil and high gasoline prices on their party who plan to further blockade any vote to increase domestic drilling.

"....Democratic insiders said that Pelosi and other party leaders were “not rattled” by the GOP floor rebellion, and at this point, it’s not clear if the Democrats will even pay a (political) price on energy....."

"....There is no crisis on our side of the aisle,” a top House Democratic leadership aide said. “We have a plan (block any future domestic drilling for oil which would otherwise decrease gasoline prices), and we will stick to it....."

Update: 2 hours after writing this post B. Hussein Obama announces he may be willing to allow limited domestic drilling. This guy will do or say anything to get elected depending on the polls. Example: All during his brief career Obama has been extremist, rabid anti-second amendment; but after the recent pivotal Supreme Court ruling he does an about face saying he believes the Second Amendment does allow Americans the right to bear arms. In reality he doesn't and he never will, this guy is an empty suit who will do or say anything to get elected, if elected however; it can be assured he will turn back to his socialist, anti-free market, anti-Constitutional ways.

Additionally, bringing this issue full circle; Democrats support and implement smoking bans 3 to 4 times more often than than their free market Republican counterparts. For proof one need only look at B. Hussein Obama's PR campaign consultant GMMB which admittedly only supports Democrats, and names Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's front organization (CTFK) among its clients.

To learn more about the pop sensation that is Barack H. Obama read the new best selling book Obama Nation.