[gridlock]

Leaving aside the rights argument for a moment, surely you can acknowledge that the predicted downturn in business for restaurants and bars has failed to materialize in states that have enacted similar bans in the past.

[dinoparty]

That is irrelevant. First, even if what you say is true for the big picture, what if I own a particular kind of bar where my patrons are mostly made up of smokers? My revenue will certainly drop. Second, you can’t “leave aside the rights argument” ... it is the primary reason why this law is flawed.

[JamesP81]

Leaving aside the rights argument for a moment, surely you can acknowledge that the predicted downturn in business for restaurants and bars has failed to materialize in states that have enacted similar bans in the past.

In my case, I can't. I live a few minutes from a town that got increasingly nanny in it's legislation. In the past ten years, the population has dropped by a third, mostly because any kind of place to work has relocated outside the city.

[boop]

"surely you can acknowledge that the predicted downturn in business for restaurants and bars has failed to materialize in states that have enacted similar bans in the past."

Actually in just about every mom and pop operation it HAS hurt the bottom line. Just because a new, shiny bar opens up across the street and has customers it doesn't help the businesses that were hurt. How does a cigar bar stay in business if they are suddenly declared illegal, like in the state of WA? I'd say that revenues of zero dollars would represent a "downturn".

[The Ghost of Rudy McRomney]

Tell that to the ones that have closed in oHEILo. I really grow tired of hearing the claims that it doesn’t hurt business.