OPINION & EDITORIAL
Pillaging Madison
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:
- A security fee-for-all (December 11, 2007)
- Farewell, Chancellor (December 10, 2007)
- $$FC (December 6, 2007)
- In a bind (December 5, 2007)
- Entitlement Town (December 4, 2007)
Related Stories:
- A King's charge (April 6, 2005)
- Open the flue (April 22, 2004)
- Turning a new leaf (March 21, 2006)
- Minimum wage with maximum ease (October 23, 2003)
- The Madison Common Council stubbornly ignores opposition viewpoint (October 6, 2005)
by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Tuesday night (and well into Wednesday morning), the Madison City Council had the perfect opportunity to rectify their past mistake by repealing the city-wide smoking ban. Having rejected the city's best interest by a vote of 10-9, the council failed to seize this opportunity to rid Madison of such a colossal error of judgment.
The problems of this capriciously broad law are blatantly apparent. The ban applies to cigar and hookah bars — businesses that rely heavily on a clientele that engages in an activity now prohibited by the council. Although the council had the opportunity to include an exemption for these specialty businesses, it instead decided to watch the businesses go under.
The law also does not provide an exemption for sole proprietorships — businesses owned by an individual responsible for all liabilities. Although the law has the primary goal of protecting the health of employees, many of these businesses have only the owner on the payroll. We believe it should be up to the owner to decide if he wants to inhale secondhand smoke.
Nonetheless, the drafters of such a law believed they would protect the health of employees even more by shielding them from the dangers of the byproduct of chewing tobacco. We challenge the council to find a single documented case of cancer derived from secondhand chew.
Most employees know what they are getting into when they choose to work in an environment where smoking is permitted. If workers prefer not to work in a tobacco-rich atmosphere, this city has other viable options for employment. Madison has always enjoyed some of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. Those seeking jobs in this city are more apt to find "Help Wanted" signs rather than an employer explaining they are not currently accepting employment applications.
Furthermore, tobacco usage is one of the few — if not the only — commonly practiced legal activity to be prohibited by the city when exercised on private property. We find it troubling the council would take it upon itself to regulate private businesses allowing a legal activity to occur on their premises.
Finally, it is disappointing the council would be willing to play Russian roulette with one of the city's most valuable industries. This law, as it has already begun to show, has the potential to cause economic devastation on the businesses of this city, especially those on the outskirts of town where bar patrons are likely to drive the few additional minutes to enjoy a cigarette.
The council had an opportunity to rid this city of a horrible law. They failed miserably.
Anonymous (September 22, 2005 @ 11:41am):
The downtown bars are doing just fine, and will continue to thrive. It's the dinky, lame bars on the periphery that I'm worried about going under.
Anonymous (September 22, 2005 @ 2:39pm):
Why do you keep claiming the ban is against madisons best interest when me and all of my friends couldn't agree more that the smoking ban is wonderful. I go out far more than I used to. If it can work in New York, California, Chicago, and even Ireland, then why can't it work here? Stop looking for excuses to hate on our government when no such reasons exist.
Craig Chester (September 22, 2005 @ 2:59pm):
Ger rid if the chewing and cigar/hookah ban, but leave the "normal" smoking ban for bars. So many other cities have done the same to great success. Smoking is banned in bars and restaurants for the entire state of Connecticut and it's working out quite well, not to mention the entire city of New York. Also, bar owners have been so quick to say they have been losing revenue. Has anybody brought up the fact that Madison students have mostly been away from Madison for nearly the entire time this ban has been IN place? This inevitably cuts down on the number of people in local bars! Every state street bar owners revenue declines over the summer in MadisonCorrect me if I'm wrong, but Madison will be the first city in the country to REPEAL a smoking ban. I thought Madison was "progressive". Repealing a smoking ban after a matter of months, weeks really, seems tremendously regressive, not progressive.
Anonymous (September 23, 2005 @ 11:01am):
Seriously. The BH OP-ED board has been crusading against this whole smoking ban like a bunch of right wing christians at a gay rights parade. Its time to throw it in guys; it failed being repealed MANY times now, and the majority of people (the roughly 80-85% of Madisonians who don't smoke depending on who you talk to) are behind this ban. Like the above poster said, the downtown bars will be just fine. And if you're worried about the fringe bars I have an easy solution: state wide ban. Stick THAT in your pipe and (not in a Madison bar) smoke it BH Board.
