Smoking Ban: Loosening the Grip

Hey! The good folks at Anti-Strib saw a little comment I made... and now I get a little hat tip. :-D Okay, I probably better get this posted soon.

By the way, don't just visit the Anti-Strib for the commentary on the Strib's article, visit for America the Beautiful. ;)


One of my first posts, in fact it was my first post, centered on the smoking ban and property rights. Now, I read in the Strib that Hennepin County will commission a study on the ecconomic effects of the ban and possibly change it a little later this fall. Fine.

Well, I'm a little disappointed that no one against this smoking ban seems to want to mention property rights. Perhaps I should take that as a sign! ;)

There seems to be something else at work here. The swing vote guy on this whole deal is Commissioner Peter McLaughlin. The story says the study should be done in the fall... which seems to time well for McLaughlin who plans to run for Mayor of Minneapolis. He also voted for the ban last fall. Hmmm... perhaps it is me, but I'm smelling an opportunity for McLaughlin to say (words to the effect of), "I voted for it before I was against it".

I just hope the ban eventually crumbles for the sake of property owners' rights.