Smoking-ban foes cite new evidence of fraud | The Columbus Disp...

Opponents of Ohio's indoor smoking ban said yesterday that they have uncovered evidence of "massive" voter fraud on the part of ban proponents -- more than three years after voters approved the curbs on smoking.

[bearcat8290]

These people are freaks. Nearly 60% of all Ohio voters want this ban and approved such a ban in 2006. I would say nearly 95% of ALL establishments in Ohio, now comply with this ban. Yet these few fringe wack jobs, find 100 signatures wrong and whale away with the claims is unbelieveable.

[someone]

These people need to give up. Ohio is better off with the indoor smoking ban. It is easier to go to restaraunts and not be suffocated by smoke. It's been 3 years, anyway. They need to just give up.

[Kill em all]

Felons can't vote and wrongfully stating your place of employment on a petition invalidates the names collected. I fear there's more than 100 signature in question here.

[lbigman64]

i believe it should be put back on the ballot without confusing language!not two different issues??it confused people?!!!they thought they were voting for onething and were voting something else!!!people of franklin co.want to bring back the cosino issue to the ballot why not the smoking ban??the casino issue passed big!

[dmg64]

someone wrote:

These people need to give up. Ohio is better off with the indoor smoking ban. It is easier to go to restaraunts and not be suffocated by smoke. It's been 3 years, anyway. They need to just give up.

I don't remember anyone ever forcing you to go to a smoking establishment. You had the right to choose. If you didn't want to be exposed to smoke, you could choose to patronize an establishment that had chosen to prohibit smoking in their place of business. But apparently, you believe that it's all right to take away a bar or restaurant owner's right to choose how he runs his business. This used to be America. What has happened????

[Hayduke]

most food service businesses actually saw an increase in customers...
And most bars found that the smokers were not spenders...
Hotels in all tourist towns are now smoke-free because the smokers actaully drove away business...

[Care]

I am a Smoker. I can agree on the not smoking in restaurants, but when it comes to just a bar,VFW's & clubs is different! I know alot of people that do not smoke and does not might that we do! If the non smokers want smoke free bars then they should open Smoke Free Bars!!! There could be Bars that posted sign's that read "We Smoke" & "We Don't Smoke",then people have a choice where they would enter!!!

[Jac]

I agree this should go back on the ballot. I was very much in favor of a smoking ban in places owned by the public, ie; city, state and federal offices, public parks and so on. I read repeatedly that private clubs & family run businesses and businesses that were not "open to the public" were exempt and could make their own decisions on smoking. I was pretty surprised to discover that the law was NOT written until AFTER the issue was passed and it did not exempt anyone. The more I look into this, the more I'm convinced that a state wide smoking is just plain stupid. If I didn't like the smoke I would leave. Now, there are very few places left that I even want to go to because the old fun ones are empty. Just my 2 cents and all, but I think Ohio screwed this one up pretty big. I wonder if the smoking ban will be as detrimental to the new Casinos as it has been to Keno and so many bars, bowling allies, clubs & restaurants in the state.

[Bill]

I'll tell you one thing. The casinos in Ohio will go bust because of the smoking ban. Betcha the try to get a waiver. IMO the Mom & Pop bars should be allowed to have a choice.

[WOW]

It's so funny, People vote to ban smoking, in return it harms people financially (closing down bars, driving down business) but they get a sefish satisfaction out of it. "Yeah, i get to a bar and not be bothered by those awful smokers!!" We'll don't be bitching about the economy, you vote for something that cost some Ohioans thier JOBS!!! Over selfish reasons, YOU DONT LIKE TO BE AROUND SMOKE THEN GO SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY DONT!!!!!! You dumba$$es dont even realize what you do to people with your selfishness. Congratulations, but dont EVER SAY ANYTHING ANOUT THE ECONOMY!!!! SELFISH , NON THINKING A$$ES!!!

[D-RM]

Hayduke wrote:

most food service businesses actually saw an increase in customers...
And most bars found that the smokers were not spenders...
Hotels in all tourist towns are now smoke-free because the smokers actaully drove away business...

Do you have proof of this?

[generalsn1234567]

When anti smoking people were using education as their primary method, the smoking rates were reducing for many years. Now that they got into invasive bans using snitchlines and law enforcement for privately owned businesses, many have the opinoin that they crossed the line. In the 60s, people burned draft cards to protest. Now they will be lighting cigarettes.

[WOW]

Hayduke wrote:

most food service businesses actually saw an increase in customers...
And most bars found that the smokers were not spenders...
Hotels in all tourist towns are now smoke-free because the smokers actaully drove away business...

What country are you living in?

[just another smoker]

Every restaurant i have been in had smoking and nonsmoking. I don't think it's right, if you don't like it go somewhere else. I tkink the state had it planned from the start, they knew it whould pass one way or the other and it' just not right.

[generalsn1234567]

Hayduke wrote:

most food service businesses actually saw an increase in customers...
And most bars found that the smokers were not spenders...
Hotels in all tourist towns are now smoke-free because the smokers actaully drove away business...

Here in Chicago, many small neighborhood bars ignore the ban to stay in business. America is still the "home of the BRAVE"

[JUST A AMERICAN CITIZEN]

I only want to say one thing, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAND OF THE FREE?????? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!

[lojak]

I am not a smoker, but I think that it was an invasion of privacy. People have the right to smoke. If you dont like the cigarette smoke, sit on the NON-SMOKING side of the resturants. They do have a such thing as a ventilated systems in all resturants, and in most bars.

[smokedbacon]

bearcat8290 wrote:

These people are freaks. Nearly 60% of all Ohio voters want this ban and approved such a ban in 2006. I would say nearly 95% of ALL establishments in Ohio, now comply with this ban. Yet these few fringe wack jobs, find 100 signatures wrong and whale away with the claims is unbelieveable.

Ah hate to burst your bubble, but what smoking ban, as in my area there is no ban! As a matter of fact I have not seen a REQUIRED SMOKING SIGNAGE on any Church Entrance, You might ask Bridge Port Ohio Municipal Building Owners where their sign is, those are violations the same as a smoking violation which no one has been ticketed in Ohio for doing!

[JUST A AMERICAN CITIZEN]

Just one thing I would like to know, what happened to the land of the FREE????? Our wrights are being taken one by one,WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!

[smokedbacon]

Hayduke wrote:

most food service businesses actually saw an increase in customers...
And most bars found that the smokers were not spenders...
Hotels in all tourist towns are now smoke-free because the smokers actaully drove away business...

Are you with the comedy section of the American Comedian Society?