Pure Madnesson
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Sunday, January 22, 2006
Tavern League President Fined for Smoking in Mayor's Office
No arrests were made, but more than 100 fines were issued to Tavern League members and their supporters during a "Ban-the-Ban" protest in the office of Madison Mayor, Dave Cieslewicz. The rally, sponsored by the Wisconsin Tavern League in conjunction with the Coalition to Save Madison Jobs, was held in protest of recent fines issued to three Madison bars which have allowed smoking by their customers.
Joe Klinzig, owner of South Bay Lounge and spokesman for the Coalition to Save Madison Jobs has not allowed smoking in his bar since the start of the ban, but he understands why others have. "When your profits are down as much as 300%, you do what you need to," he explains. Asked whether revenue losses have been inflated, Klinzig denies the claim. "Profits really are down well over 100%. We are ALL losing money since this ban started, and the entire bar industry will be out of business within the next 6 months. The anti-smoking zealots just aren't willing to acknowledge that." He calls the event "really more of a smoke-in" than a rally.
Among those ticketed at the smoke-in is Barb Mercer, president of the Tavern League. Mercer says the small fine is worth it to make a point. "We decided to stage this smoke-in as a means of civil disobedience and to show the inconsistency of the message the city is sending." According to Mercer, the city should be fining smokers who choose to light up in bars rather than ticketing bar owners. "You notice, they ticketed us as the smokers today. Why didn't they fine the Mayor for allowing us to smoke in his office?"
Mayoral spokesman George Twigg, donning a sparkling white shirt with starched white collar incidentally, says that the Mayor's office still stands behind the smoking ban and does not see it as a white collar vs. blue collar issue. Twigg also states that the city is justified in fining the bar owners for allowing smoking in their establishments. Asked why the mayor wasn't fined for allowing smoking in his office, Twigg responds with a laugh, "It's not like the mayor invited Barb Mercer and her gang in for a smoke."
Joe Klinzig, owner of South Bay Lounge and spokesman for the Coalition to Save Madison Jobs has not allowed smoking in his bar since the start of the ban, but he understands why others have. "When your profits are down as much as 300%, you do what you need to," he explains. Asked whether revenue losses have been inflated, Klinzig denies the claim. "Profits really are down well over 100%. We are ALL losing money since this ban started, and the entire bar industry will be out of business within the next 6 months. The anti-smoking zealots just aren't willing to acknowledge that." He calls the event "really more of a smoke-in" than a rally.
Among those ticketed at the smoke-in is Barb Mercer, president of the Tavern League. Mercer says the small fine is worth it to make a point. "We decided to stage this smoke-in as a means of civil disobedience and to show the inconsistency of the message the city is sending." According to Mercer, the city should be fining smokers who choose to light up in bars rather than ticketing bar owners. "You notice, they ticketed us as the smokers today. Why didn't they fine the Mayor for allowing us to smoke in his office?"
Local Alderman Santiago Rosas supports the efforts of the protestors saying the city's fining of hardworking, taxpaying bar owners "just isn't fair." Rosas explains further, "It's really an issue of elitism and bias against blue collar Madisonians." Rosas goes on to point out that the collars of the shirts of all of the bar owners fined for allowing smoking are indeed blue. All of their customers and staff wear shirts with blue collars, too. On the other hand, Rosas observes, "The Mayor always wears shirts with white collars. I don't think those Progressive Dane alders even wear shirts with collars. This smoking thing is just plain discrimnation against blue collar folks!"
Mayoral spokesman George Twigg, donning a sparkling white shirt with starched white collar incidentally, says that the Mayor's office still stands behind the smoking ban and does not see it as a white collar vs. blue collar issue. Twigg also states that the city is justified in fining the bar owners for allowing smoking in their establishments. Asked why the mayor wasn't fined for allowing smoking in his office, Twigg responds with a laugh, "It's not like the mayor invited Barb Mercer and her gang in for a smoke."
posted by Pure Madness<> # 4:47 PM 
