Commentary About a Level Playing Field

The latest hue and cry concerning the smoking ban is for the State Legislature to make the ban state wide and therefore make the playing field level. The smoke-hater Nazis would have you believe that such a plan would prevent individual businesses from suffering any economic losses. Over 80 years ago the Communists called for the redistribution of wealth in order to “make the playing field even.” However instead of spreading the wealth the Bolsheviks and Communists simply manifested poverty across the landscape of the Soviet Union.

Today, this same scenario, albeit only a microcosm of what happened in the U.S.S.R., is again being played out with the smoke-hater Nazis now taking the part of the Communists and the poor restaurant/bar operators being treated like the “wealthy” land owners of Imperial Russia. Then as now, the “level playing field” will not spread the wealth, it will only lead to the financial damage and ruin of those operators whose customer base is made up of significant numbers of smokers. The smoke-hater Nazis and the vast majority of legislators have absolutely no comprehension of how the food and bar business works. As such, they also lack any cognitive understanding of the desires of the public who are customers at the various smoking establishments. These Minions of the Minority also lack any cognitive understanding of the financial basics of the restaurant/bar business.

Having spent better than 40 years in the hospitality industry I can speak as both a professional and with the voice of authority on any issue that affects various restaurant and bar enterprises. It is an absolute fact that smokers will dine out less. When they do dine out they will spend less. They will forego an extra before or after dinner drink, they will forego after dinner coffee or dessert, they may even forego an appetizer. When the customer does drop one or more of the “extras”, the guest check will be reduced by a figure that can run from $1.25 for the cheapest extra, to a whopping $32.55 if a guest chose not to buy all the possible extras. These figures have the potential of being multiplied by the number of people at the table.

The smoke-hater Nazis will pontificate that no matter what the financial loss might be, it is still more important to protect the health of the employees and customers of these establishments. The half truths, lies, misinformation, and junk science being foisted off on an unsuspecting public by these Disciples of Doom, is being repudiated with ever increasing regularity by highly respected medical professionals and institutions. It is the absolute duty and responsibility of every politician who may be involved in the passage or rejection of a smoking ban to become totally informed on the topic. Many of you with whom I have corresponded have already expressed the intention of voting against the smoking ban. Those of you who are adamant in your support of the ban and that support is based on faulty knowledge should make every effort to get properly informed. Failure to do so can mean only one of two things. At best, you are like ostriches with your buried in the sand---at worst, you are suffering from an acute, if not fatal, case of cranial-rectal immersion.

In conclusion, I feel compelled to remind many of you that we have a Constitution in Washington D.C. that guarantees us our right to freedom of choice. It also guarantees us our private property rights. Catering to the public does not convert private property into public property. Always remember, “The government that governs least, governs best.” The following is a link to actual financial damage caused by bans already enacted. http://www.smokersclubinc.com/banloss3.htm Please copy and paste into your browser.

Sincerely,

Robert Hayes Halfpenny
Bob3443@aol.com