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by Jay
on Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:57 pm |
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I bet there are more IL owners who USED to follow the state smoking ban. But now, they think having people smoke inside and make money is more important than doing what antis want. Who can blame those owners for making the RIGHT decision to let people smoke so the owners can make some revenues go up?
A 10 percent drop in business is a legit reason to let people use their freedom to smoke. You can fight for the US. But you can't live freely in the US. If a vet can fight, that vet SHOULD be allowed to smoke in ANY place really.
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Text: Grass Roots Campaign Against Illinois Smoking Ban
Last Edited: Monday, 18 Feb 2008, 11:15 PM CST
Created: Monday, 18 Feb 2008, 11:15 PM CST
(KTVI - myFOXstl.com) --
Like the no-smoking sign on the door suggests, Fat's Rendezvous’ owner Boog Walker tried to abide by the Illinois smoking ban, but the bottom line's 10 percent drop changed his mind.
"From then on I said no we are going to work this out however we can."
And working it out means allowing folks to bring their cigarettes in.
"It should be individual right. I own the property. I own the building." says Walker. "But I have to live by the state's rule."
It is that rule that convinced more than a hundred people to show up, light up and literally break a law. A "smoke-in" to protest.
"I want the state of Illinois to know what this has done to us," says Becky Helton who is among those saying her bar business in Salem is going bust. "I've lost close to 40 percent of my business to the smoking law."
Closer to St. Louis it's a short drive to smoke here it's a tank of gas, but its not exactly a captive audience says Helton.
"We can drive no where but home and that is where everyone is going."
The ban backers say this is about the rights of employees to work in a smoke-free environment, just like the expecting bartender at Fat's. She wasn't smoking but was signing a petition like bartender Kay Thouvenin. She says there is a fine line between protecting lives and destroying livelihoods.
"I figure I was making 30-40 dollars a day. The first two weeks of January if I brought home 8 dollars a day I was doing good," says Thouvenin. "It's my health, it's my decision."
"Please don't tell me I cant smoke its not going to work" says veteran Wayne Pantry who can't even smoke in his VFW or American Legion which is why he's lighting up here. "Our military goes over and fights in combat and they can't come back to their own private organization and cant smoke and have a drink with their friends our freedom is being taken away from us."
The Marion County Sheriff himself showed up outside Fat's Monday night but neither he nor his deputy wrote a citation. Sheriff Brad Wolenhaupt telling Fox 2 if the office receives a complaint they will investigate but he remains unsure if it's his jurisdiction or that of the health department. Boog Walker was happy to host the protest but he says the ashtrays will stay out and smokers will be allowed in. |
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Jay
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Jun 10, 2003
Posts: 495
Location: Chicago
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by Jay
on Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:13 pm |
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Well I did everythang right in combining my comments with the article as one post. But I forgot the article URL. Here it is:
http://tinyurl.com/3bzuk9
I guess I got caught up in feeling the excitement I got from hearing about anotha owner ignoring the ban. |
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Jay
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Jun 10, 2003
Posts: 495
Location: Chicago
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