Archive for Thursday, September 14, 2006
Ban benefits
September 14, 2006
Advertisement
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
More like this
- Benefits of ban March 17, 2004
- Smoke-free dining July 13, 2002
- Smoke-free dining July 13, 2002
- Good business? July 31, 2003
- Hotels changing over to totally smoke-free September 19, 2003
Top ads RSS
- *********** Customer Service Reps At Vangent, we’re unlike other call ...
- Dining Services Supervisor Must be a CERTIFIED DIETARY MANAGER Hospitality ...
- NEUVANT HOUSE of Lawrence Personal Memory Care Seeking Administrator for ...
- KU Student Health Services
- PRODUCTION SHIRT PRESSER needed. Start at 7AM. 5 1/2 day ...
Marketplace
Arts & Entertainment · Bars · Theatres · Restaurants · Coffeehouses · Libraries · Antiques · Services
- Turbine manufacturer passes on Lawrence site November 24, 2009 · 19 comments
- School district may have to tap contingency fund November 24, 2009 · 42 comments
- Blog: Tasering Your Preteen: Can You Imagine? November 24, 2009 · 46 comments
- Nation has right to ask ‘why?’ November 21, 2009 · 140 comments
- Former colleagues come to KU coach Mangino’s defense November 24, 2009 · 48 comments
- $260 million in state budget cuts will lead to state employee furloughs, less funding for highway maintenance, schools November 23, 2009 · 65 comments
- Man arrested on battery, disorderly conduct charges after incident at Perkins Restaurant November 24, 2009 · 49 comments
- Blog: Song Titles And Lyrics: All About Giving Thanks November 23, 2009 · 96 comments
- On the street: Are you more concerned about your personal safety during the holiday season? November 24, 2009 · 53 comments
- AD should go November 24, 2009 · 47 comments
- KU students develop marketing plans for Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area November 24, 2009
- New turnpike interchange in Leavenworth County expected to open within next two months November 24, 2009
- Former OU basketball coach Billy Tubbs to speak at Lawrence Chamber of Commerce meeting November 24, 2009
- Haskell freshman dies in Montana jail November 24, 2009
- Lawrence likely to land distribution center November 24, 2009
- Motivational speaker November 29, 2008
- Eudora students get Chinese instruction November 22, 2009
- Former colleagues come to KU coach Mangino’s defense November 24, 2009
- Warm up for holiday cheer with screening of 'Thankskilling' November 24, 2009
- The book that changed a town April 3, 2005
14 September 2006
at 7:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 7:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 8:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 10:01 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 11:02 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 11:24 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 11:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 12:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 12:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
tony88 (Anonymous) says…
That confuses you, Godot? Maybe you need some reading comprehension lessons.
14 September 2006
at 12:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 2:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
14 September 2006
at 3:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
15 September 2006
at 12:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
Of course if those of you who do not want to be around tobacco smoke would simply refrain from going where the smoke is, ther would be no problem.
Those who support the Smoking Ban are the WORST kind of facists; and I DO know the meaning of the word.
Wait for MY “postcards”.
Thanks.
Marion.
19 September 2006
at 12:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
giantchurro (Anonymous) says…
How about smokers refrain from going where non-smokers are. That would take care of the problem.
19 September 2006
at 4:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…
facists?
hmmm Marion…that's some one who is partial to faces?
19 September 2006
at 4:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.
20 September 2006
at 10:29 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
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.