Tank's Bar & Restaurant Story

Hi Shiela, my name is Tom Marinaro I live in Babbitt Mn. and I own a bar called Tank’s Bar and Restaurant.
This ban has put a financial burden on me and my business since it took affect on October 1st of last year. Right now we are down 30% in sales in the bar since the ban went into effect. I have a mortgage of over $5,200.00 a month. I have not been able to cut myself a check since last October, and I have put my own money into the business. After we pay labor and everything else our checking account is in the red. I do not know how long I can go on this way without closing the doors. We live in a very rural place in northern Mn. And we only draw from the people that live in the area of about 1200 people.
We also built a restaurant in 2005 and I went non smoking from the start because it is in a separate building through a hallway and I don’t think anybody should smoke in a food preparation area. To make up the loss from the bar I have closed down one day a week in the restaurant and cut hours where I can on other days, the bar would carry the financial shortage in the restaurant before the smoking ban, but I cannot do this any longer. Since you found the theatrical loophole my business has improved in that short time. I know the state is loosing a lot of money from liquor tax that has already been allocated.
When they were talking about putting the ban on last October they said that it would not hurt the businesses that much because the non smokers would come in their. I have not seen anyone different in the bar since the ban.
I think this is against my constitutional rights. This is my business and they do not have the right to tell me how to run my business. I would like to see a class action suit on this.
Thank you very much Shiela.

Sincerely, Tom Marinaro