Smoking Ban

Out at least for now

[Robin Garr]

Out at least for now

Injunction! Now! It's too good to kill.

Nooooooooooooooo!
I've actually enjoyed going to bars again.

As idealisticly opposed to it as I am, I have to admit that I appreciate it more after having visited an estabilshment in a neighboring town where there is smoking every where.

I do still think there should be limited places where people who like to smoke can go... but I do think they should be very limited.

Injunction within 48 hours. New ban without the CD exemption within days to 2 weeks. I love the ban and the judge's ruling escapes any semblance of logic. He just "knew" that the ban could not have passed without the CD exemption. Judicial clairvoyance, I guess.

[Robin Garr]

Injunction within 48 hours. New ban without the CD exemption within days to 2 weeks. I love the ban and the judge's ruling escapes any semblance of logic. He just "knew" that the ban could not have passed without the CD exemption. Judicial clairvoyance, I guess.

My recollection is that Judge Ryan is not one of the more brightly shining lights of the local judiciary ... can anyone either substantiate or correct me on this?

Meanwhile, I notice this in the CJ bulletin ...

<i>Cres Bride, owner of two taverns — R Place Pub and Joe’s Old As Dirt — told his customers to light up as soon as he found out about the judge’s decision.

“We’re already smoking,” Bride said Friday morning. “There is no smoking ban, as it stands right now.”</i>

I'll remember this attitude the next time I'm thinking about local eateries that I want to support with my business.

I can hardly blame them for enjoying their brief repreive. And let's face it, it IS going to be brief. They know it won't last, we know it won't last. It's legal for now, I don't see the point in holding it against them.

Just because somthing is really pleasant doesn't mean it isn't unconstitutional.

As much talk as there is on this site about supporting the underdog, I'm surprised more people weren't pissed about the CD exception to begin with - it was clearly driven by dollars.

Injunction within 48 hours. New ban without the CD exemption within days to 2 weeks. I love the ban and the judge's ruling escapes any semblance of logic. He just "knew" that the ban could not have passed without the CD exemption. Judicial clairvoyance, I guess.

Yea! Like maybe he had some semblance of understanding equal protection, the constitution, and seemingly unimportant things like that!!!

They need to take a serious look at other smoking bans around the country before they write the new law. The one size fits all policy is not working out for the small mom and pop bars. In Florida you can only smoke in what is called a "free standing bar" which is a bar that does not have a kitchen. Also in some states you can smoke in places after a certian time of night. Why does our law have to be so inflexable?

I just sent a quick note to my Metro Council member asking her to "Please promptly re-pass smoking ban without the Churchill Downs exemption before New Year's Eve, and make it take effect immediately."

I ask everyone else in the Louisville community to do the same.

Go here to find the e-mail address for your council member.

[Robin Garr]

Just because somthing is really pleasant doesn't mean it isn't unconstitutional.

As much talk as there is on this site about supporting the underdog, I'm surprised more people weren't pissed about the CD exception to begin with - it was clearly driven by dollars.

Beth, absolutely no question that the Churchill Downs exception was wrong-headed, stupid and possibly corrupt.

But they had already cleaned it up.

I was really commenting more on the judicial comments made. It is the role of the court to make judicial findings. There is always an avenue for those issues to be preserved and properly appealed. Whether or not CD changed their own policies re: smoking doesn't change the language in the ordinance. The unconstitutionality was on the face of the ban, not in the way in which it was implemented.

Just for the record though - I personally love the ban. I'm sympathetic to smokers, but I still selfishly love it!

In fact, most of the smokers I know are grateful for it too. (At least during the first couple of cocktails!)

Looks like I'm going back to wearing dirty clothes out to bars again and leaving in a half hour after I have a raging headache and am grumpy.

I've never understood why this country can't figure out ventilation systems. You can smoke anywhere in Germany and you will never walk out of a place reeking of smoke.