Roentgen Ray wrote:It's a real Hobson's choice in Lexington to say you can choose to go to a non-smoking establishment if you like. If you have severe asthma, heart disease, or other cardiopulmonary problems, going to a smoking establishment could be dangerous. The only non-smoking public places in Lex are the churches and the hospitals. Now that's not entertainment to me. So in the end, you really have no choice at all (i.e. Hobson's choice). If you are willing to protect property owners to the teeth, then they should have responsibility for the ramifications on the health of workers and patrons (and what about the poor children!) Give the property owners the right to do what they want, but give the bartenders et al the right to sue the property owners for the health costs related to working in an environment that is proven to be dangerous. Rights come with responsibility.
see previous post regarding working conditions.
if you suffer from those ailments, try going to the grocery store and preparing your own meals and/or opening your own establishment and making it 'no smoking.' I didn't know anyone was entitled to bar/restaurant choices.
democracy is three wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch
Agreed, going to a restaurant is not an entitlement. But what if I am a musician or a singer or a waiter or a bartender. In order to make a living wage, I would need to work in bars or restaurants, as there are no non-smoking bars are restaurants in Lexington that I know. Is smoking in a bar and entitlement? No. Is doing with your property what you want regardless of its ramifications an entitlement? Say I have California Condors nesting in my back yard canyon but they wake me at night. Do I have the right to shoot them so I can sleep better? They are on my property. I hear your argument on property rights, and they are important. As I said above, it's a cost vs benefit game. If the property owner wants the benefits of allowing smoking in the establishment, then that person is responsible for the health cost to his employees (e.g. musicians, bus boys, waiters, hostess, cleaning people, bouncer, cooks, just to name a few) because the owner has allowed a dangerous working condition to exist. The other option would be to provide respirators to workers. That's not practicle though. I will have to hunt down your previous comments on working conditions.
I've been in several restaurants in Lexington that have been smoke free by choice for several years now. I noticed , because I'm a smoker. Ramsey's near Firebrook has maybe always been. Their shop near Todd's Rd has been for a while, and several fast food estab. have been for years. I've waffled back 'n forth in my thinking on this. I support property rights and the notion that some jobs have risk.
Personally, I will always take responsibility for what I get myself into, but in the world that is (right or wrong), the realist takes over.Until we agree to have waiters and barkeeps wearing gas masks, the ruling has merit IMHO. Hard to imagine the bar scene though with a band. Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll. Well, throw out any of the vices you don't care to partake in,that's cool , demand conformation? and there goes that whole ball of wax. You never had to be dirty to experience it, but you weren't permited to insist that I be clean.
I read about this in the Chicago Tribune yesterday.
I hate big government. This is a prime example of big government.
Owners of establishments should have a right to allow a LEGAL activity in their own buildings. Smart business owners would create smokefree establishments if there was a large demand for them. Yada yada yada.
It should be noted that I feel smoking is fucking retarded, and anyone who smokes is a fucking moron.
That being said, you have a right to kill yourself. I, being a rational adult, have the right to choose wether or not I want to enter into a building where I know smoking will be commonplace.
Smoking bans should be a nonissue. . .they shouldn't exist. Sorry for you smokers out there. . .but whatever. You're an idiot to begin with.
Piano... how are you going to smoke your Chicago pizza style blunts while shopping at Wal-Mart with this smoking ban? Won't this interfere with your diamonds and ice bling bling?
Well, I went to a show in Lexington Saturday and was totally please to have it a non smoking place. It made the show much better to me, and I didn't smell like smoke the next day. So, as far as I am concerned, the ban is super cool, and should have been in place years ago.
