To the editor:
In a recent editorial, the Journal-World bemoaned the legal costs resulting from being a leader in the area's move toward smoke-free indoor air. To be "fair and balanced," as our Fox News friends would say, perhaps the benefits should be mentioned as well.
First, Lawrence has reinforced its reputation as the progressive leader for the area, not a bad thing in a state where evolution is still controversial.
Second, difficult to quantify, but supported by a consensus of scientific opinion, local lives will be saved by Lawrence's leadership. The benefit for those is priceless.
Finally, the city has benefited by increased patronage of our bars and restaurants, occasioned by a more pleasing environment. Sales tax receipts for the city as a whole went up 3.9 percent in the 12 months after the indoor smoking ban went into effect, whereas they went up 7.3 percent in the bar and restaurant sector. That represents a bonus of 3.4 percent attributable to the smoking ban, or an additional $3,737,998 in sales, an additional $197,584 in state sales taxes and an additional in city sales taxes for just the first year. Just that first year bonus should cover any legal fees.
Really, though, what is it worth to do the right thing? To quote a Kentucky Supreme Court decision upholding the Lexington indoor smoking ban: "Protection of the public health is uniformly recognized as a most important municipal function. It is not only a right but a manifest duty of a city."
Steve and Kathy Bruner,
Lawrence
Comments
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paladin (anonymous) says…
Steve and Kathy, serious attention should be given to the nature and quality of your relationship, if this kind of thing is what you talk about while sitting around the kitchen table over your dinner of hamburger helper.
aeroscout17 (anonymous) says…
Wow, I would hate to see your conversations around the dinner table Paladin since you thought their conversation was inappropriate. I thought this was a very good letter and (evidently) presents facts instead of a bunch of emotions and whining.
kuhusker (anonymous) says…
I would be OK in principle with separate smoking and non-smoking areas in bars, separated by a barrier, but the way it was done in the past was a joke. Did you ever go to Free State Brewery before the ban passed? They had the non-smoking area directly above the smoking area in a large open room....apparently the owner of Free State never studied science, otherwise he would have known that smoke rises...so in effect the entire place was a giant smoking section.
If stuff like that was addressed, and smoking and non-smoking sections in resturants were truly made separate, maybe a compromise could have been reached.
crazyks (anonymous) says…
But instead of deciding on an all-out smoking ban first, why didn't they just make regulations on what had to be done in order to make a smoking section acceptable?
No other options were really looked at first.
Godot (anonymous) says…
" Sales tax receipts for the city as a whole went up 3.9 percent in the 12 months after the indoor smoking ban went into effect, whereas they went up 7.3 percent in the bar and restaurant sector. That represents a bonus of 3.4 percent attributable to the smoking ban......"
Huh?
"....or an additional $3,737,998 in sales, an additional $197,584 in state sales taxes and an additional in city sales taxes for just the first year. Just that first year bonus should cover any legal fees."
That is the most convoluted thinking I've seen printed here in a long, long time.
kef104 (anonymous) says…
Thank you Dr. Bruner for your and your wife's support of a healthy community.
It is sad that the only way to criticize your solid facts is for someone to attempt a personal attack on your personal relationship and presumed dining choices. I wonder if those like Palidin realize that such trivality only reinforces the complete weakness of their position, and in this case, exposes a complete lack of class.
I personally find Lawrence a much nicer place to dine and socialize since the ban has taken affect.
You are an excellent MD and I appreciate the thoughtful, factually based information you provide. While I cannot comment on the quality of your maritial conversations and in home dining selections, I have always enjoyed conversing with you, and when fortunate enough to see you dining socially, well, all I can say is, Krauses does not server Hamberger Helper.
Again, I thank you for supporting a healthy community and providing the information needed for others to continue to support the smoking ban.
ilovelucy (anonymous) says…
Reality_Check: so.....where did the diligent Bruner's get their facts?
Regardless of how a person feels about this imposition on citizen's rights, each side will have a story to tell. The figures that the Bruner's discussed I've seen. They do NOT tell the true story because those figures encompass ALL sales tax info in town. Grocery stores, clothing stores, etc. Plus, revenue's are up when football and basketball start. It's just too bad that the public can't see the figures broken out correctly. Doubt the Clean Air preachers would want that. They may be WRONG.
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
It's nice to see that there are still couples who have intellectual conversations. Apparently, paladin and his/her spouse stick to talking about the really important things, like what bill they should pay late in order to buy another carton of cigarettes. Nascar, farts, and beer may also be included.
tony88 (anonymous) says…
That confuses you, Godot? Maybe you need some reading comprehension lessons.
tony88 (anonymous) says…
Well, ilovelucy, that is why they cited the specific bar/restaraunt revenues. That is also why they analyzed it over 12 months (1 year), which includes basketball and football season, and off season. Thanks for further pointing to the specificity of their analysis.
Godot (anonymous) says…
tony88, it is not the specificity of their analysis that confuses me, it is their conclusion that confounds me.
First, just because overall sales tax receipts were up 3.9%, and bar receipts were up 7.3%, it does not follow that there is a 3.4% bonus in the restaurant business.
Second, there is no way to conclude that the increase in the bar receipts were due to the smoking ban. There are other factors to consider, such as, were there more, or fewer restaurants than the year before; were there more, or fewer, out of town visitors than the year before; did the price of food and drink increase from the year before, and by how much? Those are just a few of the factors that also would have impacted the increase.
In fact, I could claim that, if it had not been for the smoking ban, the restaurant receipts would have been 10% higher, and I would be just as wrong as the Bruners are in their claim. Why? Because neither claim is provable, or correct.
kef104 (anonymous) says…
Godot,
You are correct. Correlation, while necessary, is never sufficent to conclude causation. It is a mistake to state, without other information, that the Smoking Ban raised sales. However, I believe that what raised the sales is less important than noting that sales did not fall, as predicted by the "pro smoking in public" coalition. The doom of the entertainment industry failed to materialize and that was the intent of the Bruner's comment. In fact, overall receipts are up, taxes are up, and the cost of being a socially responsible health leader in a state striving to get out of reverse is easily covered by these gains.
I also want to thank you for so clearly stating what you meant the first time. It is much easier to understand what you intended and why.
giantchurro (anonymous) says…
How about smokers refrain from going where non-smokers are. That would take care of the problem.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
facists?
hmmm Marion...that's some one who is partial to faces?
badger (anonymous) says…
b_g -
*snerk*
I think the important thing to note, though, is that this really does eviscerate the "If you make it a smoking ban, all the businesses will suffer," argument.
It should have gone to a community vote. Businesses should have been allowed to explore sealed separate-air options. But neither of those things happened, and now the fairly significant argument that the ban was bad for business looks like it's a non-starter.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
personally, I would not wish to have all the smokers pushed outside. instead, put them into a truly functioning smoking section. that way, I don't have to walk through the poor bums forced to huddle around the front door with their stogies.
and, I suppose I am a facist, as I like the human face.