Finally They have Nothing to Complain About

Caution...Rant on
Careful what you wish for. "Probably all laws are useless; for good men do not want laws at all, and bad men are made no better by them." -- Demonax - (Roman philosopher c. 150 A.D.) I don't know the details of this legislation, but a few questions I have are:
What parameters determine the air quality?
Is it really necessary to have indoor air as clean as outdoor air to be healthy? (this is very tough to accomplish regardles of smoke)
Who determines the results of testing?
Are independent tests allowed in appeals?

After many years of battling extremists similar to the anti-smoking nazis, I can assure you, they will never rest, it is never enough for them, they are on the winning side (more and more regulations are being passed, very few go away) The more regulated we (as a people) become, the more we accept it!
OK, Rant off.

We are going through the same thing up here with the anti drunk lobby MAAD. They succeded in getting the leagal limit for DWI set at .08. That was a good thing, it placed a safe limit as to how much one could consume and still drive safely - and it gave the lawmakers something they could enforce.

Now, to justify their continued fundraisng activities they are pushing to have the legal limit LOWERED to .06 which will do nothing to stop the drunk drivers, but will ensure their continued existence as a charity/lobby to the federal government.

I had a bumper sticker from the NRA, that said, when Guns are outlawed the outlaws will have the guns, ........... well when a smoking ban hits I will smoke, , what do you think ole crazy Jack Nickleson would do, blow smoke in the guys face who told him to put down his cigar , I might not have the cash behind me like Jack, but I have the same rights to be a law breaker as he is ! , did anyone ever stop Red Arbach from smoking at the Boston Garden, or any other basketball arena, he lit up when he knew the game was won, a Victory cigar, & thats just what i will do, IF a ban ever hits the Burgh, I will be a scoff law & test the system to my limits .
As a decorated, compensated & honerably discharged NAVY Vet , I can get a lot of my fellow Vets to go along with me , just for the fun of it ! hahahaha Enjoy, Vince

it's pretty crazy to think of Chicago going smoke free. the capital of the midwest. land of red meat and big cigars. there's still a lot of interpretation coming. i don't know if they've set air quality standards, but i'm sure that before the break in period there will be something else done.

personally i don't think it's the governments job to step in and make laws like this one. the anti-smoking zealots say this is to protect the workers in bars and restaurants. who is making these people work in these establishments? they are free to find employment elsewhere if they don't want to take the inherent risks that go along with working there. i believe it's the decision of the business owner to make his establishment smoke free if he wants. there's plenty of smoke free restaurants in chicago and i'm sure they get plenty of business. i'm sure there are people who go to those restaurants simply because they are smoke free.

pure and simple over governing. i think the reason the law was passed was to appease the non-smokers. i also believe that the two and a half year break in period is to try and get the majority of voters to forget about the vote cast by their alderman. only 3 alderman voted against this law basically saying it's up to hte owner of the business.

it will be something to watch if the county or state government try and expand this law.

I'll be right there fighting with ya Vince.

Funny thing is though is that the air inside even with the smoke is probably not that much dirtier than the outside air. In fact it might even be cleaner in some places. The whole argument is just founded in nonsense. So what if secondhand smoke is bad for you (no concrete proof that it is anyway), you're constantly being exposed to much worse things everyday. Wasn't there some comparison done that said if you spent the average time it takes to smoke a churchill in city traffic that you would be something like 30 times better off just smoking the cigar?

Although this is a good comprimise for places like Ditka's and Harry Carey's, what about all the mom and pop bistros and fledgling cafes. I doubt they can just shell out the money for these things. Whole systems cost a lot of money. My former aunt recently had one installed in her restaurant for 4 grand. That's a lot of omelettes and ruebens to sell.

I bet the employees prefer smoking in the places. If a customer lights up a churchill for instance, they're there for a good hour and a half at least. That means an hour and a half worth of food and spirits to go with the cigar are being bought. That also means that waitresses, bartenders, and busboys get tips for that hour and a half.

Sullivan's? Let me see if I can keep my steak joints straight...Dearborn and Kinzie? No, it ain't Kinzie...it ain't Illinois. Hubbard? And I wonder why my Officers worry when I'm driving the firetruck...just look for the smoke.

The big old Martini glass out front isn't there? I get around pretty well in the entire Chicagoland area. Never been to Sullivans though. I've got a few of the steak joints I really want to get to and now with the new law I'm going to have to step it up a bit. What's the point if I can't enjoy a cigar in the lounge afterwards?

Mmmmmmm, Sullivan's....[img=left]http://bestsmileys.com/drooling/1.gif[/img]

They have an upstairs cigar lounge with a ventilation system. I can't see them having a problem with this law. Unless of course WE have another sit-down there. :lol:

Ditka's is real nice upstairs as long as you're there on a night when their Sinatra wannabe isn't singing. It just gets too loud and I'm usually there with friends trying to have a conversation.

I also like Harry Caray's in Rosemont. It's in the Holiday Inn on Higgins just east of Manheim. Seperate bar that allows cigars and food can be ordered in the bar.

If food isn't in the cards sometimes I hook up with guys at CigarKing, but the last few times I was there the smoke got so bad it made me want to leave.

There are a lot of Chicago guys here. We'll have to find some time to share a cigar or two at some point.

i really dont like kareoke.

this ain't karoteoke! this is some italian dude who sings Sinatra songs. I've heard him sing a Deano song once or twice, but mostly Frank. The last time I was there he got all loaded up he couldn't remember the words. He does sounds like Frank and I love the music, but just don't like the fact that they keep the colume too loud. When I'm there whether just for drinks and a few cigars with friends or for dinner I like it to be quiet enough for good conversation.

It probably seems like something pretty trivial, but when I'm there and he's singing I'm clapping at the end of his song or set just because now I can talk until he starts singing again.

Macallan said:

Ya that guy rocks. He used to play for the Bears.

Click to expand...

the dude that sings?

The Bar in the Penninsula Hotel is another great spot, especially in the winter, there is a fireplace and couches, dark atmosphere....good place all together. We should get a nother sit down orchestrated for the winter months...I don't know when would be good for everyone...

I'll make time available.

I can't go to Harry Carey's. The man was a legendary announcer on the field but off a total pig. An aquaintence of mine used to be the head of security for Wrigley. He told me he couldn't stand to be around him because he was a total sexist and racist.

I need to get back to Chicago sometime...I wish I could've spent more than one night when I was there.