Posted on 06/05/2006 7:07:50 AM PDT by SheLion
MONROE TWP. -- About a half dozen American Legion members sat around an old picnic table behind Post 252 Friday, despite the humid heat.
Inside, the air conditioner was keeping the bar cool -- but out here, they can smoke.
Thanks to new state legislation prohibiting smoking in all public places but casinos, this American Legion post lost approximately $5,000 in bar income during the month of May, said Commander Joe Reed.
The post has a gaming license that allows them to operate a couple of Pull-Tab gambling machines, and the income from them is down about the same amount, Reed said.
Three-quarters of all the money brought in through the Pull-Tab machines goes to charity, he said. Last year, the post contributed approximately $90,000, but this year, Reed said, with the smoking ban cutting post income, the donations, too, will suffer.
"People are having a couple of drinks. They get tired having to go outside (to smoke), and leave," Reed said.
"There are no (new) non-smokers coming in, and smokers are just not coming," he said. In fact, he said, non-smoking members often join the smokers outside, since the camaraderie is an important part of why they come.
Members here agree on one thing: They don't think the state should be allowed to legislate what people can or can't do in what is essentially a private, members-only club.
Veterans, according to a letter Reed is preparing to send to Gov. Jon Corzine, "need a place where they can talk about things only another veteran can understand."
Watching members with disabilities have to struggle to go outside to have a cigarette "would break your heart," Reed wrote. "Have we forgotten the Greatest Generation? This act has, and does."
Smoking "doesn't bother me. It never has," said non-smoker Rick DeHart. "You can see the difference. There are less people here."
"It's not right," said smoker John Barton.
It sounds very promising.
We are basically saying the same thing - exemptions for smoking in a casino means providing a customer incentive to a casino that the owner of another business doesn't have.
Classic case of government being manipulated into erecting barriers for competitive advantage.
Not a free enterprise sort of principle, but apparently we believe that you can make government as big as you want and our free enterprise system can withstand even that.
I beg to differ, they are not naive - they are contemptible liars.
you're too kind.
LOL!!!!
I try not to get banned from posting :)
"Most of them in the end are probably crying for government (me) to pay for their oxygen tanks to be delivered to their house and hospice care."
Nothing in 3DN's post indicated his wage level, so your assumption that he's a minimum-wage worker is nonsensical.
OK, I'm sorry to all I failed to consider all of the taxes you pay as smokers. You carry more than your share as far as that goes. My neighbor who just passed away from a life of smoking and drinking sure paid dearly for his habits. I sat with him the last day he was able to sit out of bed. It sure didn't look like any way I would like to go. And as I mentioned earlier he left his family with memories of a drunken smoker. What a sad ending.
Seems like we have a few less drunks on the road, thanks to this smoking ban. This ought to save us TP'ers some money for response costs, not to mention the lives saved.
Hey! Where did you find this? I need a link. People are pounding on me for something to read. Some proof. PLease oh please tell me where I can find this!!!
I got that info back on email. I just sent a second inquiry up to American Legion State HQ for the reference to post it here and send to the American Legion this article is about.
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