[Mpls] Candidates who Question or Equivocate on Smoking Ban are Defeated?

[Psurmak at aol.com]

The smoking ban dynamics are not hard to figure out....80% of voting adults  
in Minnesota don't smoke, and are most likely to support a complete ban and  
resist any attempts to revisit the issue.  Personally, I think a total ban  on 
smoking is a crock and a violation of privacy rights; I think the partial ban  
in St. Paul is reasonable, with a small number of "bars" still open to the  
smoking public.  These establishments are far fewer in number than their  
non-smoking counterparts, and offer the remaining 20% an option, albeit a  limited 
one.  Anyone who doesn't want to sit in a smoky environment can  stay away; 
people who don't want to work in this environment will have a wide  selection of 
non-smoking food/beverage establishments to work in (the  idea that a handful 
of smoking bars will discriminate or restrict anyone's  employment 
opportunities in this town is just plain stupid).  I think this  compromise is very 
reasonable, and hope St Paul's policy doesn't change, and  Minneapolis/Hennepin 
Co. revisit their restrictive policy.  
 
Just for the record, I'm not a regular smoker myself, nor do I condone or  
encourage anyone to smoke; but do indulge in an occassional cigar, especially in 
 certain situations, such as getting together with the "guys" to watch a 
sporting  event, which I may do once or twice a month.  The fact that there's no  
longer any public venue to enjoy this age-old simple pleasure in Hennepin Co. 
is  sad.
 
Lastly, I want to comment on the remaining 20% of adults who do  smoke.  A 
very high % of these folks happen to  be working class or working poor.  Not 
only do they have  to shoulder a disproportionate load to help balance  our 
budget (read: the new tobacco "fee"), but now have no place  to go and unwind with 
a drink and a smoke after work.  Just one more  indication that this "new" 
breed of hoity toity liberals have their heads up  their a_ _ _ s, and have 
completely lost touch with working class America.

Peter  Surmak
Linden Hills