Clearing The Air

CTA editor warned Iowa lawmakers they were being lied to by smoking ban advocates, now 1 year later the truth is being exposed

One year ago Iowa smoking ban advocates, funded by Nicoderm sales, told lawmakers the blatant lie that smoking bans are good for business. Ignorant and unconcerned lawmakers either believed that lie, or felt obligated to return favors for the campaign funding provided by the non-profits now lobbying for anti-business initiatives (smoking bans).

One Iowa bar owner tells his story here:

After a decade in business, the Nest Bar and Grill in Johnston is empty.
The owner, Rich Marx, said the smoking ban drove him out of business."We just celebrated our 10 year anniversary last Wednesday and then shut the doors three days later," Marx said.
He said former customers who used to smoke at the Nest are now smoking at home with a 6-pack or visiting a casino.
"Since the smoking ban went into effect July 1, we've lost just over 40 percent of our business," he said.
That made paying the bills impossible.

online here:
http://www.kcci.com/news/17984101/detail.html

The Nest isn't the only bar taking a hit.
The Iowa Restaurant Association said members who catered mainly to smokers are down this earnings quarter.
However, government numbers show gains in the hospitality industry. Iowa Workforce Development shows 2,400 more jobs in hospitality this month than last year at this time.
Likewise, bar and restaurant earnings are up 1.5 percent.Iowa Department of Revenue public information officer Renee Mulvey said bar losses could be getting lost in restaurant gains.
"That's very possible that's happening," Mulvey said.

"...bar losses could be getting lost in restaurant gains....." CTA can verify that's exactly what is happening, and it's happening around the globe to intentionally hide the loss of businesses and jobs from smoking ban legislation. Here in Minnesota government economists used hotel room revenue data in their report in an effort to hide the revenue losses to the hospitality industry after smoking bans were enacted.

Smoking bans HAVE NEVER increased revenue or jobs in the hospitality industry. They have however, increased revenues for the manufacturer of Nicoderm, Nicotrol, Nicorette, Commit etc.....which is exactly why they continue to fund the non-profit activists to push the smoking ban agenda.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 1:17 PM