Health-Nanny Ballot Stuffing

D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham has posted a (thoroughly useless and unscientific, need it be said?) poll up on his website asking whether the city should ban smoking. Naturally, the Nanny Brigades have flooded the site. I figure turnabout's fair play. Especially since the wording of the question asks about "indoor workplaces," which makes people think about offices, not (necessarily) bars and restaurants.

Comments

[Mo]

I'm helping you DCers out. What I want to know is who the one guy that said not sure is.

[Jor]

There was an article in the NYT, a few days ago about how a smoking ban in bars there, was very harshly received then -- but now, 2 years later -- even the president of the bar association, seems to like the ban. As someone who recently moved from NJ to CA -- I originally didn't think the ban would matter -- but its a world of difference. Whenever I go back to Jersey, I dread going out. OF course, I don't smoke. But, the times articles at least finds(cherry picks?) a ocuple of smokers who also don't seem to care.

[Julian Sanchez]

Well, the problem is, they're asking a truly moronic question: "Are almost all smoking bars or no smoking bars at all better?" The right question might be something like: "Is the current mix of smoking/non-smoking bars inefficiently tilted toward smoking bars." And, as a smoker, I'm inclined to think that the answer is yes. That anyone should conclude from this that *no* smoking bars is actually optimal (whether or not it constitutes an improvement) is rather mindboggling.

[smoky]

The city I live in(a suburb of St. Louis)recently enacted a smoking ban effective next year. It went through numerous city council meetings, the vote was always put off to the "next" meeting. The reason being the "ban" didn't have enough support to pass. The councilman who sponsored it wouldn't let it die. The local media caught wind of it and sure enough the following meetings were besieged by anti-tobacco activists, the majority of whom didn't even reside in the city. The local bars(both of them) put up a fight and threatened to move. Eventually the city council and mayor caved in. Guess I'll be going a couple of blocks down the road to enjoy my beer and a smoke. At least until the pokenoses show up again. And they will. Please save me from the "good" people.

[Ben]

I agree with Jor. Having lived in NYC for a while now I love not having to deal with a ton of cigarette smoke in bars. Whenever I go to visit friends in DC the smoky bars are very unpleasant. As a libertarian though I can't in good conscience support smoking bans.

[David T]

Mo: maybe the one guy who voted "Not Sure" (and no, it wasn't me) is honestly uncertain about how far the definition of "indoor workplaces" extends.

[Mark Draughn]

I'm a non-smoker who is really bothered by smoke-filled rooms. Whenever I'm in one, I have to concentrate just to breathe without choking. The ban on smoking in offices has greatly improved my comfort at work, and the larger number of non-smoking areas in restaurants has made dining out much more enjoyable.

But banning smoking in bars? That's just madness!

[thoreau]

This non-smoker just did his tiny part to skew that poll in the opposite direction.

The only thing dumber than wasting your money on things that make you sick and smelly is passing a law against it.

[Matt]

As much as it might benefit me to be able to hang out with fellow smokers out on the sidewalk without having to cope with people drinking inside a bar, I still did my part and cast eight ballots against the ban in this poll. (Ah, the wonders of working in the internet biz, where I can vote from as many IP addresses as I feel like, so it'll be counted every time. 🙂 )

[smoky]

The metro area where I reside(2.5 M population)has from best I can tell less than 10 non-smoking bars out of probably thousands. If the demand is so high how come there aren't more? You'd think some enterprising persons would be offering what a lot people say they prefer. Any ideas?

[Semolina]

OK, everybody, once again (with gusto):

This is not about workers and patrons, or "smokers" and "nonsmokers," or "healthy" and "unhealthy." It is about the property rights of each individual who owns a building.

[Capt. Clich]

Semolina said:
"OK, everybody, once again (with gusto):

This is not about workers and patrons, or "smokers" and "nonsmokers," or "healthy" and "unhealthy." It is about the property rights of each individual who owns a building."

But, but, but... I thought it was about THE CHILDREN!

[C L]

Come to think about it, are there any non-smoking bars in DC? Not the forcibly so in Montgomery County, but actually in DC? I can't stand the heavy stench of cigarette smoke in most DC bars, but I couldn't in good conscience support banning bar owners from deciding themselves whether to allow or forbid smoking, but you'd think that some would.

[free form]

It's entirely beside the point, but I'll take a smoke-filled room over a cologne-and-perfume filled room every time.

Is the stinky, offensive, sickening, artificial scent ban on the horizon? My libertarian sensibilities wouldn't really support it, but shoot--it would be nice to breathe!