Petitioning for the Repeal of the Smoking Ban (Oak Park: home, business)

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by jojojohnson76

I am loving the no-smoking law. I can finally go to a restaurant and not be walked through a smoke stack on the way to my "non-smoking, but still smoky" table.

I thought smoking has been banned in restaurants (without bars) in Illinois for a couple of years.

[jessiegirl_98]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I thought smoking has been banned in restaurants (without bars) in Illinois for a couple of years.

Nope! Not in all of Illinois, just some specific towns (trust me, I grew up in a small town. You couldn't enter a restaurant without having a zillion people smoking until the 1st!).

[boris63]

Originally Posted by jojojohnson76

That's true that you can CHOOSE to go to a non-smoking bar if you want to go out but NOT inhale smoke, but really, how many people would go to a non-smoking bar if smoking bars were around? Even the non-smokers would have to elect to go to the smoking bars because all of their friends who smoke would not go to the non-smoking bar.

So you're saying the state should violate the property rights of thousands of business owners so you won't have to argue with your friends about weather to drink in a smoking, or non-smoking bar?!

maybe you should just find some new people to drink with!

[KevK]

Smoking should be banned everywhere except in your own home. If it is banned in ALL bars, what possible effect could it have on business? If people in bars want to smkoe, they can go outdoors and smoke. They do have exit doors in bars.

[Greatday]

Smoking should be allowed in any business that wants to allow smoking.

In the alternative, I would enact legislation that would require a business to clearly mark their business as allowing, or not allowing smoking.

Then, let the patrons decide: If someone is a non smoker, and does wish to patronize a private business, they can go elsewhere. If the business suffers, then that was the businesses choice.

Let the market place decide

Not the government

[boris63]

It's scary to me that so many people in the United States, the supposed "land of the free", either:

a)Don't really understand what freedom is.
b)Want freedom for themselves, but nobody else.
c)Don't think people are intelligent enough to think for themselves(need to be taken care of, for their own good)

d)Really just don't want the U.S. to be a free country anymore.

Makes you wonder what kind of society we'll all be living in twenty years from now.

[Lookout Kid]

Keep the ban full fledged! I won't vote for any politician who wants to repeal the ban. Period. It's the only decent thing our legislature has done this year, other than transit funding--which should have been a bigger priority.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by boris63

It's scary to me that so many people in the United States, the supposed "land of the free", either:

a)Don't really understand what freedom is.
b)Want freedom for themselves, but nobody else.
c)Don't think people are intelligent enough to think for themselves(need to be taken care of, for their own good)

d)Really just don't want the U.S. to be a free country anymore.

Makes you wonder what kind of society we'll all be living in twenty years from now.

That's so completely ridiculous. If they try to limit freedom of speech or religion, then get angry. Heck, I can even understand the anger about limiting the right to bear arms. But there is no right to smoke in public guaranteed anywhere, and there shouldn't be. We have always had MANY laws regulating behavior in public places. You can't harass people, get too drunk, urinate on the sidewalk, or play your music too loud at night. These are all worthwhile laws that place limitations on public behavior, but benefit the public as a whole. Quit trying to make the smoking ban into some sort of totalitarian attack on freedom! It's just not!

[Inthesprawlpath]

Work places are building smoking shelters now.At thier cost.Smokers walk off the job when they need a smoke,to go outside.Figure 5 minutes a cigarette,maybe 10 a day at work(conservative).That's 50 minutes to an hour a day scewing off outside.In a large plant multiply that by hundreds of employees.That's going to cost businesses a ton.When are non-smokers going to insist that they get shelters too and 50 minutes outside to just hang out while the smokers get thier fix.We are turning into a nation of whining panzies.Government,Butt out! Everybody else, shut up and get back to work!If you don't like your job,find another one.If you don't like the bar or restaurant,find another one.The only smoking ban that should be in effect is for public places that you don't have a choice to be there or not.Post Offices,Hospitals,Airports,Bus Stations,etc... .Anywhere else is just to satisfy whiners. I am a non-smoker.Light up guys,It's OK by me.

[boris63]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

That's so completely ridiculous. If they try to limit freedom of speech or religion, then get angry. Heck, I can even understand the anger about limiting the right to bear arms. But there is no right to smoke in public guaranteed anywhere, and there shouldn't be. We have always had MANY laws regulating behavior in public places. You can't harass people, get too drunk, urinate on the sidewalk, or play your music too loud at night. These are all worthwhile laws that place limitations on public behavior, but benefit the public as a whole. Quit trying to make the smoking ban into some sort of totalitarian attack on freedom! It's just not!

You don't get it. It's not about smokers rights, it's about property rights. The right to private property is every bit as fundamental to freedom as freedom of speach or religion.

Bars and restaurants are their owners "private" peoperty, not public property! Telling a business owner what to allow on his/her private property is no different than telling you what you can/can't do in your own home!

Do you want the state to start regulating what you can do in your own home?!!!