Article from Forces website about Australia
Millions gone after smoke ban
By Clare Masters
June 05, 2008 12:00am
THE state's crippling smoking bans have cost the State Government about $55 million in gambling taxes, with the Government underestimating the impact of anti-smoking laws.
The latest NSW Budget shows the Government believes the pubs and clubs industry could take more than four years to recover, despite initial predictions that the industry would pick up in 12 to 18 months.
State Budget in depth
The Government is facing criticism that it should not have introduced the bans in the dead of winter in Sydney - making life even tougher for smokers.
Clubs and hotels spent more than $900 million on renovations in preparation for the smoking ban from last July, but punters have reacted more strongly than expected.
Clubs alone have lost about $400 million in revenue over the last 12 months, largely because of drops in poker machine revenue.
Comparisons between budget statements 2007-08 and 2008-09 reveal Treasury estimated they would receive $1061 million in pokie taxes, but instead received $1006 million - a shortfall of $55 million.
The latest budget shows that Treasury does not expect clubs and hotels to pick up again until 2010-11.
By comparison, Star City - where smoking is still permitted in the high rollers' room - collected about $8 million more in pokie revenue than predicted in this year's budget.
Anti-smoking lobby groups have compared NSW to Queensland, where revenue picked up after 12 months, but experts say NSW is following Victoria's trend more closely due to the weather.
"With club gaming revenue continuing to fall with every passing month, it's clear the negative financial impact of the indoor smoking bans has a long time yet to run," ClubsNSW Chief Executive David Costello said.
"Unfortunately it seems that NSW clubs will suffer an experience similar to that in Victoria, where clubs took five years to return to pre-ban revenues."
Australian Hotels Association chief executive Sally Fielke said there were a number of influencing factors but smoking bans were still having a significant impact.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23812536-5006009,00.html
Friday, June 20, 2008
Theater Night Update 6-20-08
Hello Everybody - Sue Jeffers, picture above.
Just a quick update.
- See Robert's (Bullseye's) comments below about Theater NIghts. The show must go on!
- On June 28th, Sue Jeffers is planning a radio show on the "Smoking Ban" in Minnesota. It should be an awesome show....tune in. See the article below for more about Sue.
- What do global warming and smoking have in common? The answer is lies & deception (aka Junk Science), read the article below from the Forces website. I recommend watching the video, it is only a few minutes long but worth watching....so Al Gore used computer animation for his documentary.
- Visit Greg's website http://www.freedomtoact.com/ for other updates and articles that have been posted.
From Robert (owner of Bullseye Saloon)
The march toward victory continues. The state passed a bad law but left a broad exception, an exception we used to keep our businesses open. The MDH came around saying what we were doing was illegal, so many of us stopped holding theatre performances. Bullseye did NOT stop performances because he felt they were perfectly legal and felt it was up to a judge to interpret the law, not the MDH. Bullseye was running theatre performances from 8am-2am every day of the week. The customers at Bullseye did not have a central theme to their performance, they did not have a script, and they wore nothing more than a pin as a costume. So, the judge ruled that what was going on at Bullseye was not in fact theatre. But, what this court ruling HAS done is lay the ground work for the rest of us to move forward! Although what "was" and was not" theatre was never spelled out to us in statute, we now know WHAT THEATRE IS! Judge Abrams told us what we were doing wrong at Bullseye so we KNOW how to fix it and HAVE LEGITIMATE THEATRE NIGHTS IN OUR BARS! The MDH tried to say that we could not hold theatre performances in our bars, but Judge Abramns did NOT rule that way. He ruled that our current performances were not good theatre, and then he detailed what we needed to do to fix them. Bullseye Saloon has now been "money-muscled" into signing an agreement with the MDH; he has to pay a fine and is not allowed to hold theatre performances in his bar for 5 years. Bullseye Saloon sacrificed their right to hold theatre performances in order to lay the ground work the rest of us need to move forward with them. Sheila is currently working on a script so we should be ready to start up theatre performances again by the time it gets cold. This battle is not just about Bullseye Saloon, Mark Benjamin, or Sheila Kromer; this battle is about all of us. Ask what YOU can do to help Sheila move this forward. We will not roll over, close our doors, and vanish into the night... we WILL fight to save our lively hood, and WE WILL CONTINUE THEATRE PERFORMANCES IN MINNESOTA BARS!!
Minnesota Majority ( http://www.minnesotamajority.org/Home/tabid/112/Default.aspx )
Sue Jeffers Hits Weekend Airwaves on KTLK FM
By Dan McGrath on 5/28/2008
She’s been called “feisty,” “scrappy,” a rabble-rouser, a renegade and a fair number of expletives. Best known for her opposition to smoking bans, eminent domain abuses, tax increment financing and a 2006 primary challenge against Governor Pawlenty, Sue Jeffers has been a frequent fill-in host for Dan Conry on KTLK 100.3. Somebody at the FM news talk station, possibly working with a concussion, signed a contract and gave the intractable Sue Jeffers a permanent microphone.
Sue’s program will air Saturdays from 5-7 beginning this weekend. Sue’s inaugural broadcast will take place during the Republican state convention. She says she’ll be covering the event with live updates from Rochester.
Jeffers hasn’t been one to mince words and “politically correct” doesn’t seem to be in her lexicon. Listeners can probably expect a weekly dose of irreverent common sense that will raise the blood pressure of politicians and political insiders. But, those folks aren’t her audience. No doubt, they’ll listen but she’s probably not talking directly to them. During her gubernatorial campaign, her slogan was “People Before Politics.” Her radio show will more likely engage the “grassroots” and regular working people on the issues that impact everyday lives.
Sue Jeffers has contributed articles and research to Minnesota Majority and occasionally writes for True North.
USA: Junk science grows like Pinocchio's nosehttp://forces.org/News_Portal/news_viewer.php?id=123118th June 2008
Our regular readers are familiar with the fraud antismokers use to make you believe that smoking gives “black lung,” using either artificially tarred-up pig lungs or, easier yet, lungs that have been “touched up” with computers. Then they get pneumonologists or oncologists to tell you that your lungs are just like that. Al Gore and the global doomers have now been caught in a similar scam.
The idea of the "black lungs" is to get the fool to go: “Ooohh!”, whilst shivers run down his spine, inspiring him to become “useful”: the smoker must stop, and all must spread the word, "educate" about the threat, as holy missionaries! The manipulation of emotions at an elementary level has always been at the heart of the propaganda that all criminals – political, religious, environmentalists, or healthists – have used since time immemorial, to make us believe what they want.
In this case we are talking about another great fraud, that of anthropogenic global warming. The famous documentary by Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, shows footage of immense glaciers, telling us they are receding, melting away because of evil mankind. That is to further depress the fools who have already been "educated" to feel guilty every time they turn their cars on. Somebody, however, noticed that the footage in the documentary was the same that was used for the catastrophist and purely fictional The Day After Tomorrow movie.
Brain-dead apologists would say, “Well, what’s wrong with using some footage twice?” Nothing at all – if only the footage was real! Here, as with the “smokers’ black lungs,” this is something that does not exist, as it is completely computer-generated. In short it is a fraud because the spectator is not told that the glacier (or the lung) is a fiction! In the news clip that exposes the fraud a representative of the company that made the computer animation is interviewed.
The gravest aspect is highlighted by the smiling representative herself, who says, “It was one hell of a shot. I think it’s great that he used it”, completely missing the gravity of the false representation. This point is picked up again by the host of the news clip, who also misses the target in full. “Is it wrong for a documentary to use a fabricated Hollywood shot to make a point, even if there is science behind it?”
It is wrong twice: first because the public was not told that it is fiction. Second – and even more important – because there is no science behind the point. There is no science behind anthropogenic global warming as there is no science behind antismoking propaganda. Not even one thousandth of a degree of the presumably increased global temperature can be scientifically proven to be caused by Man. Not even one death in the world can be scientifically proven to be caused by smoking. In both cases it is always and only junk science presented by dishonest and fanatical “experts” who abuse their positions for money and power, and who are put on pedestals instead of being thrown in jail for creating public panic and falsely representing the evidence to the public. The question the host should have asked is this: “Is it wrong for a documentary to use a fabricated Hollywood shot to make a point, even when the point itself is a fraud?” Unfortunately we've got to the point that, when denouncing a fraud (the computer glaciers) we legitimize another one – that there is science behind anthropogenic global warming. These are the results when deception becomes culture. The news broadcaster says Gore and his production team did not respond to calls for an explanation. There is no explanation. Junk science Pinocchios have once again been caught in a lie. We call upon all of you to join us in the fight to restore rational public policy.
Click the link below for the news broadcast video.
http://www.forces.org/Multimedia_Portal/index.php?selection=252Link To Original Article »»
Just a quick update.
- See Robert's (Bullseye's) comments below about Theater NIghts. The show must go on!
- On June 28th, Sue Jeffers is planning a radio show on the "Smoking Ban" in Minnesota. It should be an awesome show....tune in. See the article below for more about Sue.
- What do global warming and smoking have in common? The answer is lies & deception (aka Junk Science), read the article below from the Forces website. I recommend watching the video, it is only a few minutes long but worth watching....so Al Gore used computer animation for his documentary.
- Visit Greg's website http://www.freedomtoact.com/ for other updates and articles that have been posted.
From Robert (owner of Bullseye Saloon)
The march toward victory continues. The state passed a bad law but left a broad exception, an exception we used to keep our businesses open. The MDH came around saying what we were doing was illegal, so many of us stopped holding theatre performances. Bullseye did NOT stop performances because he felt they were perfectly legal and felt it was up to a judge to interpret the law, not the MDH. Bullseye was running theatre performances from 8am-2am every day of the week. The customers at Bullseye did not have a central theme to their performance, they did not have a script, and they wore nothing more than a pin as a costume. So, the judge ruled that what was going on at Bullseye was not in fact theatre. But, what this court ruling HAS done is lay the ground work for the rest of us to move forward! Although what "was" and was not" theatre was never spelled out to us in statute, we now know WHAT THEATRE IS! Judge Abrams told us what we were doing wrong at Bullseye so we KNOW how to fix it and HAVE LEGITIMATE THEATRE NIGHTS IN OUR BARS! The MDH tried to say that we could not hold theatre performances in our bars, but Judge Abramns did NOT rule that way. He ruled that our current performances were not good theatre, and then he detailed what we needed to do to fix them. Bullseye Saloon has now been "money-muscled" into signing an agreement with the MDH; he has to pay a fine and is not allowed to hold theatre performances in his bar for 5 years. Bullseye Saloon sacrificed their right to hold theatre performances in order to lay the ground work the rest of us need to move forward with them. Sheila is currently working on a script so we should be ready to start up theatre performances again by the time it gets cold. This battle is not just about Bullseye Saloon, Mark Benjamin, or Sheila Kromer; this battle is about all of us. Ask what YOU can do to help Sheila move this forward. We will not roll over, close our doors, and vanish into the night... we WILL fight to save our lively hood, and WE WILL CONTINUE THEATRE PERFORMANCES IN MINNESOTA BARS!!
Minnesota Majority ( http://www.minnesotamajority.org/Home/tabid/112/Default.aspx )
Sue Jeffers Hits Weekend Airwaves on KTLK FM
By Dan McGrath on 5/28/2008
She’s been called “feisty,” “scrappy,” a rabble-rouser, a renegade and a fair number of expletives. Best known for her opposition to smoking bans, eminent domain abuses, tax increment financing and a 2006 primary challenge against Governor Pawlenty, Sue Jeffers has been a frequent fill-in host for Dan Conry on KTLK 100.3. Somebody at the FM news talk station, possibly working with a concussion, signed a contract and gave the intractable Sue Jeffers a permanent microphone.
Sue’s program will air Saturdays from 5-7 beginning this weekend. Sue’s inaugural broadcast will take place during the Republican state convention. She says she’ll be covering the event with live updates from Rochester.
Jeffers hasn’t been one to mince words and “politically correct” doesn’t seem to be in her lexicon. Listeners can probably expect a weekly dose of irreverent common sense that will raise the blood pressure of politicians and political insiders. But, those folks aren’t her audience. No doubt, they’ll listen but she’s probably not talking directly to them. During her gubernatorial campaign, her slogan was “People Before Politics.” Her radio show will more likely engage the “grassroots” and regular working people on the issues that impact everyday lives.
Sue Jeffers has contributed articles and research to Minnesota Majority and occasionally writes for True North.
USA: Junk science grows like Pinocchio's nosehttp://forces.org/News_Portal/news_viewer.php?id=123118th June 2008
Our regular readers are familiar with the fraud antismokers use to make you believe that smoking gives “black lung,” using either artificially tarred-up pig lungs or, easier yet, lungs that have been “touched up” with computers. Then they get pneumonologists or oncologists to tell you that your lungs are just like that. Al Gore and the global doomers have now been caught in a similar scam.
The idea of the "black lungs" is to get the fool to go: “Ooohh!”, whilst shivers run down his spine, inspiring him to become “useful”: the smoker must stop, and all must spread the word, "educate" about the threat, as holy missionaries! The manipulation of emotions at an elementary level has always been at the heart of the propaganda that all criminals – political, religious, environmentalists, or healthists – have used since time immemorial, to make us believe what they want.
In this case we are talking about another great fraud, that of anthropogenic global warming. The famous documentary by Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, shows footage of immense glaciers, telling us they are receding, melting away because of evil mankind. That is to further depress the fools who have already been "educated" to feel guilty every time they turn their cars on. Somebody, however, noticed that the footage in the documentary was the same that was used for the catastrophist and purely fictional The Day After Tomorrow movie.
Brain-dead apologists would say, “Well, what’s wrong with using some footage twice?” Nothing at all – if only the footage was real! Here, as with the “smokers’ black lungs,” this is something that does not exist, as it is completely computer-generated. In short it is a fraud because the spectator is not told that the glacier (or the lung) is a fiction! In the news clip that exposes the fraud a representative of the company that made the computer animation is interviewed.
The gravest aspect is highlighted by the smiling representative herself, who says, “It was one hell of a shot. I think it’s great that he used it”, completely missing the gravity of the false representation. This point is picked up again by the host of the news clip, who also misses the target in full. “Is it wrong for a documentary to use a fabricated Hollywood shot to make a point, even if there is science behind it?”
It is wrong twice: first because the public was not told that it is fiction. Second – and even more important – because there is no science behind the point. There is no science behind anthropogenic global warming as there is no science behind antismoking propaganda. Not even one thousandth of a degree of the presumably increased global temperature can be scientifically proven to be caused by Man. Not even one death in the world can be scientifically proven to be caused by smoking. In both cases it is always and only junk science presented by dishonest and fanatical “experts” who abuse their positions for money and power, and who are put on pedestals instead of being thrown in jail for creating public panic and falsely representing the evidence to the public. The question the host should have asked is this: “Is it wrong for a documentary to use a fabricated Hollywood shot to make a point, even when the point itself is a fraud?” Unfortunately we've got to the point that, when denouncing a fraud (the computer glaciers) we legitimize another one – that there is science behind anthropogenic global warming. These are the results when deception becomes culture. The news broadcaster says Gore and his production team did not respond to calls for an explanation. There is no explanation. Junk science Pinocchios have once again been caught in a lie. We call upon all of you to join us in the fight to restore rational public policy.
Click the link below for the news broadcast video.
http://www.forces.org/Multimedia_Portal/index.php?selection=252Link To Original Article »»
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Hey Greg - Can you post this....it is from the website http://www.mainlinebar.com/events.php of Mainline Bar in Downer, MN.
Mainline Upcoming Events
The Mainline is located in Downer MN. The best way to get here is to go 15 miles East of Moorhead on I-94 ~ take the Downer exit ~ go left into Downer and we'll be the big tin building on the right! If you have any questions please call us at 218-789-7610 Our mailing address is 9571 Hwy. 9, S. Barnesville MN. 56514
Lew's comments: 201!!! Remember that #. All right, this is gonna be a little awkward but I think it needs to be put out there. The Mainline is down 45% since the inception of the smoking ban. I was told there'd be tons of new customers because of the ban.....Well, I haven't seen any and apparently i'm not the only one. As there are now 201 bars/restaurants/bingo halls that have gone out of business since the ban went into effect. Please check it out. http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html I don't want to be on this list! Don't let anyone tell you that no ones biz is hurting because of it. IT'S A LIE! A GREAT BIG ONE! Any how, we really need customers or were going to be done for. I've had to sell my motorcycle, my house is for sale. If I get that sold we might make it. So for all of the people who wanted a smoking ban, please get out and support your local bars and restaurants or they won't be there much longer..... Radio advertising sure doesn't bring people out, so it's up to YOU!!
Speaking of radio, I KNOW one company that really really sucks ass. I got sued over it, lost of course. Cuz radio can screw up, ruin your SHOWS, run wrong ads, Over charge, etc. and get away with it. SO....let me KNOW if you want to KNOW which company BLOWS! Now GO out and party SO we can all keep on keepin on. All I ever wanted was to have a cool bar and have a lot of fun, do what everyone said couldn't be done and make friends. Big corporate DillHoles and scumbags of the world have really tried to stick it to us. Luckily, I have all of you to help me keep going!
Mainline Upcoming Events
The Mainline is located in Downer MN. The best way to get here is to go 15 miles East of Moorhead on I-94 ~ take the Downer exit ~ go left into Downer and we'll be the big tin building on the right! If you have any questions please call us at 218-789-7610 Our mailing address is 9571 Hwy. 9, S. Barnesville MN. 56514
Lew's comments: 201!!! Remember that #. All right, this is gonna be a little awkward but I think it needs to be put out there. The Mainline is down 45% since the inception of the smoking ban. I was told there'd be tons of new customers because of the ban.....Well, I haven't seen any and apparently i'm not the only one. As there are now 201 bars/restaurants/bingo halls that have gone out of business since the ban went into effect. Please check it out. http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/100-bars-and-restaurants-put-out-of.html I don't want to be on this list! Don't let anyone tell you that no ones biz is hurting because of it. IT'S A LIE! A GREAT BIG ONE! Any how, we really need customers or were going to be done for. I've had to sell my motorcycle, my house is for sale. If I get that sold we might make it. So for all of the people who wanted a smoking ban, please get out and support your local bars and restaurants or they won't be there much longer..... Radio advertising sure doesn't bring people out, so it's up to YOU!!
Speaking of radio, I KNOW one company that really really sucks ass. I got sued over it, lost of course. Cuz radio can screw up, ruin your SHOWS, run wrong ads, Over charge, etc. and get away with it. SO....let me KNOW if you want to KNOW which company BLOWS! Now GO out and party SO we can all keep on keepin on. All I ever wanted was to have a cool bar and have a lot of fun, do what everyone said couldn't be done and make friends. Big corporate DillHoles and scumbags of the world have really tried to stick it to us. Luckily, I have all of you to help me keep going!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Drink tax makes Pa. county executive unpopular
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080615/ap_on_re_us/pittsburgh_brew_haha
Drink tax makes Pa. county executive unpopular
By RAMESH SANTANAM, Associated Press WriterSun Jun 15, 2:14 PM ET
A stiff drink comes with a stiff tax in Pittsburgh and surrounding towns these days, and that has made the county executive public enemy No. 1 in some quarters, reviled by name in song and on bar bills.
Even comedians have gotten into the act, complaining that rising drink tabs meant fewer people coming to see them perform and pouring wine and liquor into a river in a mock restaging of the Boston Tea Party.
The 10 percent drink tax, in effect since January, was pushed along by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato to subsidize public transit. The two-term Democrat says he had no choice; swallow that, he said, or property taxes would have to be hiked.
Many bar and restaurant owners are frothing over the county surcharge, and are making sure that the name of its sponsor is as well-known as, say, Sam Adams and Jim Beam. With rising fuel and food costs and a weak economy, they say, the tax is just one big fly in their beer.
"I've been in this business for 40 years and I've never seen a more difficult or challenging time," says Kevin Joyce, owner of The Carlton restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh.
Michael McDermott, who was nursing a lager at a downtown pizzeria, says he goes out only two nights a week now instead of three — just the kind of response bar owners fear.
"I cannot afford to drink as much as I used to," says McDermott, 49, of Scott Township.
Signs have appeared in bars telling Onorato, only half in jest, that he is not welcome. Some bar receipts contain the notation "Onorato tax." Online, one Irish balladeer croons: "Remember the tax you pay on every single beer and then tell old Danny boy that he's not welcome here."
One restaurateur even challenged Onorato to a charity boxing match, with the tax's future at stake if he lost. Onorato chose instead to tend bar and give his tips to a Police Athletic League.
Now the brew-haha over the tax, which also applies to six-packs sold at bars, is taking a more serious turn.
A petition drive is about to get under way to try to repeal the 10 percent levy. Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation plans to begin collecting signatures Tuesday to put the issue to a referendum in November.
"He was hoping everyone would have forgotten about the tax," says Tom Baron, president of big Burrito Restaurant Group, which runs 11 eateries in the county. "Instead, he's facing Whiskey Rebellion II."
The original Whiskey Rebellion was in 1794, a tax revolt in which western Pennsylvania residents played a major role. President George Washington fought back by calling up the militia.
Allegheny County will respond to the new Whiskey Rebellion with its own referendum, asking voters to pick between a property tax increase or the drink tax to maintain a transit subsidy required by law.
"I am not budging. They are not going to force a property tax on this county," says Onorato, who has a background as a lawyer and certified public accountant. "I have to do what I have to do and they have to do what they have to do. I will put my faith in voters."
As of March 31, the new drink tax had generated close to $9 million in the county, which has some 2,000 active liquor license-holders.
Opponents say the county is likely to get considerably more than the $32 million it needs to subsidize mass transit. The county executive says any surplus can be used for transportation capital projects.
Philadelphia, on the other side of the state, has had a 10 percent drink tax for 14 years. It helps pay for public schools.
They appear to be among the highest local drink taxes in the country, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade association which opposes the Allegheny County tax.
At Pittsburgh's Church Brew Works, owner Sean Casey isn't posting anti-Onorato signs or otherwise bashing the county executive, but he understands why other bar and restaurant owners might be so angry, especially those in communities where customers can easily hop over to another county for cheaper drinks.
"When you are seeking to decimate somebody's business, a lot of people are going to push back because they've got to protect their families," he says. "Their livelihoods are threatened and they feel cornered."
Drink tax makes Pa. county executive unpopular
By RAMESH SANTANAM, Associated Press WriterSun Jun 15, 2:14 PM ET
A stiff drink comes with a stiff tax in Pittsburgh and surrounding towns these days, and that has made the county executive public enemy No. 1 in some quarters, reviled by name in song and on bar bills.
Even comedians have gotten into the act, complaining that rising drink tabs meant fewer people coming to see them perform and pouring wine and liquor into a river in a mock restaging of the Boston Tea Party.
The 10 percent drink tax, in effect since January, was pushed along by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato to subsidize public transit. The two-term Democrat says he had no choice; swallow that, he said, or property taxes would have to be hiked.
Many bar and restaurant owners are frothing over the county surcharge, and are making sure that the name of its sponsor is as well-known as, say, Sam Adams and Jim Beam. With rising fuel and food costs and a weak economy, they say, the tax is just one big fly in their beer.
"I've been in this business for 40 years and I've never seen a more difficult or challenging time," says Kevin Joyce, owner of The Carlton restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh.
Michael McDermott, who was nursing a lager at a downtown pizzeria, says he goes out only two nights a week now instead of three — just the kind of response bar owners fear.
"I cannot afford to drink as much as I used to," says McDermott, 49, of Scott Township.
Signs have appeared in bars telling Onorato, only half in jest, that he is not welcome. Some bar receipts contain the notation "Onorato tax." Online, one Irish balladeer croons: "Remember the tax you pay on every single beer and then tell old Danny boy that he's not welcome here."
One restaurateur even challenged Onorato to a charity boxing match, with the tax's future at stake if he lost. Onorato chose instead to tend bar and give his tips to a Police Athletic League.
Now the brew-haha over the tax, which also applies to six-packs sold at bars, is taking a more serious turn.
A petition drive is about to get under way to try to repeal the 10 percent levy. Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation plans to begin collecting signatures Tuesday to put the issue to a referendum in November.
"He was hoping everyone would have forgotten about the tax," says Tom Baron, president of big Burrito Restaurant Group, which runs 11 eateries in the county. "Instead, he's facing Whiskey Rebellion II."
The original Whiskey Rebellion was in 1794, a tax revolt in which western Pennsylvania residents played a major role. President George Washington fought back by calling up the militia.
Allegheny County will respond to the new Whiskey Rebellion with its own referendum, asking voters to pick between a property tax increase or the drink tax to maintain a transit subsidy required by law.
"I am not budging. They are not going to force a property tax on this county," says Onorato, who has a background as a lawyer and certified public accountant. "I have to do what I have to do and they have to do what they have to do. I will put my faith in voters."
As of March 31, the new drink tax had generated close to $9 million in the county, which has some 2,000 active liquor license-holders.
Opponents say the county is likely to get considerably more than the $32 million it needs to subsidize mass transit. The county executive says any surplus can be used for transportation capital projects.
Philadelphia, on the other side of the state, has had a 10 percent drink tax for 14 years. It helps pay for public schools.
They appear to be among the highest local drink taxes in the country, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade association which opposes the Allegheny County tax.
At Pittsburgh's Church Brew Works, owner Sean Casey isn't posting anti-Onorato signs or otherwise bashing the county executive, but he understands why other bar and restaurant owners might be so angry, especially those in communities where customers can easily hop over to another county for cheaper drinks.
"When you are seeking to decimate somebody's business, a lot of people are going to push back because they've got to protect their families," he says. "Their livelihoods are threatened and they feel cornered."
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Subject: Update 6-14-08
Subject: Update 6-14-08
Hello Everyone -
Just wanted to give you a flavor on whats going on in the country with Alcohol, Food, Labor/Wage and Smoking. Here is a newsbrief from Kenn Rockler of the Tavern League of Minnesota. It's been reported that the Democratic Convention in Denver is having problems raising money....look at the article below (Food) regarding their convention....no wonder! I am not against being healthy however, I can take care of my own health...thank-you very much!!
Sheila
NEWS BRIEF – WEEK OF JUNE 9, 2008
ALCOHOL
New Jersey Considers Low-BAC First Offender Ignition Interlock Bill
A New Jersey State Senator has introduced legislation that would require low-BAC first time DUI offenders to install interlocks on their vehicles. (PolitickerNJ) The legislation, known as “Ricci’s Law,” is named after a 17-year-old New Jersey boy killed by a drunk driver. Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the bill’s sponsors point to his death as a justification for mandating low-BAC first offender interlocks, but the drunk driver who killed Ricci was a repeat offender and had a BAC level four times the legal limit. (The Daily Record, NJ)
Wisconsin Lawmakers Push for High-BAC Ignition Interlock Law
High-BAC drivers, those with .16% BAC or more in their systems, would face a new punishment in Wisconsin under the terms of proposed legislation. Several lawmakers recently indicated their interest in using ignition interlocks to keep dangerous drunk drivers off the roads. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI) Many states use interlocks as a deterrent for repeat offenders and high-BAC drivers because they cause the vast majority of alcohol-related road deaths.
FOOD
The Democratic National Convention is being run by the food police.From the “I couldn’t make this stuff up” department and Tuesday’s WSJ Opinion Journal:“Democrats have laid down the environmental law for their Denver presidential convention this August.“The convention organizing committee is going green to such an extent that any liquid served in an individual plastic container will be banned at all 22 events hosted by the convention. Also banned will be fried foods. Any plates must be reusable or compostable. Catered meals will be expected to follow a strict color code. Such meals must not only be locally or organically grown, but consist of at least three of the following five colors -- red, green, yellow, blue/purple and white. (Oranges and carrots would appear to be have lost out.)“‘Blue could be a challenge,’ Ed Janos, owner of the local Cook's Fresh Market, told the Denver Post. ‘All I can think of are blueberries.’ Nick Agro, owner of Whirled Peas Catering, is worried. ‘I question the feasibility,’ he says, noting that the growing season in Colorado is short and that using ‘organic stuff pretty much doubles your price.’“Then there are ethical dilemmas. Compostable products, such as forks and knives made from cornstarch, usually are imported from Asia on massive, fuel-consuming freighters. Are they a better environmental choice than recyclable plates?”
Court may Suspend NYC Calorie Count Law until Final Ruling
A federal appeals court considering a challenge to the New York City menu labeling ordinance from the New York State Restaurant Association may suspend the city’s power to enforce the law until a final decision is reached by the court. (The Daily Record, NJ) The city has been issuing citations for non-compliance but said it wouldn’t fine offenders until July 18. At least one judge on the panel considering the suit is reluctant to allow the fines in the event that the court rules in favor of the restaurants.
LABOR/WAGE
Delaware Minimum Wage Bill Ready for House Vote
A bill to raise Delaware’s minimum wage to $7.75 on March 1, 2009 and again to $8.25 in 2010 has been approved by the House Labor Committee. The bill has already passed the Senate and is now ready for a final vote in the House. The House is Republican-controlled and businesses have already been lobbying against the bill. (The News Journal, DE)
Rhode Island Senate Passes Indexing Bill
The state Senate passed by a 32-0 vote a bill to index Rhode Island’s minimum wage (by automatic yearly increases of 3% to keep with inflation). (Providence Journal, RI) The bill would be effective on January 1, 2009. Gov. Carcieri (R) has acknowledged that the increase could hurt small businesses in the state. (Boston Globe) Rhode Island already has one of the highest minimum wages at $7.40. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.
SMOKING
Pennsylvania Senate Approves Compromise Smoking Ban Bill
On Tuesday, the state Senate passed a statewide smoking ban bill – revised earlier this week to include the compromise language allowing Scranton and Allegheny County to enact their own stricter ordinances. (The Morning Call, PA) The bill bans smoking in all public indoor facilities except bars (with less than 20% of their annual revenue in food sales), private clubs and casinos, cigar bars, and tobacco shops. (Philadelphia Business Journal) Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is expected to sign the bill, which will then go into effect in 90 days. (My Fox Philadelphia)
Ohio Supreme Court Does Not Allow Additional Exemptions to State Smoking Ban
In a 4-3 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected Gov. Ted Strickland’s attempt to exempt veterans’ halls and other member-only clubs from the state smoking ban. The law – which went into effect in May 2007 – bans smoking in restaurants, bars, and nearly all other public buildings. (Columbus Dispatch, OH)
Loophole in Iowa Smoking Ban Exempts Outdoor Bar Seating
Review by the state legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee, determined that the statewide smoking ban covers outdoor seating areas at restaurants, but not bars. Bars are considered to be businesses that do not have a food preparation facility, but can still serve snacks that are “incidental to the consumption of alcoholic beverages”. (The Hawk Eye, IA) The law goes into effect on July 1.
Kenn Rockler, Executive DirectorBowling Proprietors Association of MN & The Tavern League of Minnesota235 Roselawn Avenue East Suite #17Maplewood, MN 55117On the web www.bpam.org or www.tavernleaguemn.orgBPAM Phone: 651-487-2141 or 1-800-622-7769Tavern League of Minnesota 651-487-2149 or 1-877-332-9257 Cell phone: 612-205-0110
Hello Everyone -
Just wanted to give you a flavor on whats going on in the country with Alcohol, Food, Labor/Wage and Smoking. Here is a newsbrief from Kenn Rockler of the Tavern League of Minnesota. It's been reported that the Democratic Convention in Denver is having problems raising money....look at the article below (Food) regarding their convention....no wonder! I am not against being healthy however, I can take care of my own health...thank-you very much!!
Sheila
NEWS BRIEF – WEEK OF JUNE 9, 2008
ALCOHOL
New Jersey Considers Low-BAC First Offender Ignition Interlock Bill
A New Jersey State Senator has introduced legislation that would require low-BAC first time DUI offenders to install interlocks on their vehicles. (PolitickerNJ) The legislation, known as “Ricci’s Law,” is named after a 17-year-old New Jersey boy killed by a drunk driver. Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the bill’s sponsors point to his death as a justification for mandating low-BAC first offender interlocks, but the drunk driver who killed Ricci was a repeat offender and had a BAC level four times the legal limit. (The Daily Record, NJ)
Wisconsin Lawmakers Push for High-BAC Ignition Interlock Law
High-BAC drivers, those with .16% BAC or more in their systems, would face a new punishment in Wisconsin under the terms of proposed legislation. Several lawmakers recently indicated their interest in using ignition interlocks to keep dangerous drunk drivers off the roads. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI) Many states use interlocks as a deterrent for repeat offenders and high-BAC drivers because they cause the vast majority of alcohol-related road deaths.
FOOD
The Democratic National Convention is being run by the food police.From the “I couldn’t make this stuff up” department and Tuesday’s WSJ Opinion Journal:“Democrats have laid down the environmental law for their Denver presidential convention this August.“The convention organizing committee is going green to such an extent that any liquid served in an individual plastic container will be banned at all 22 events hosted by the convention. Also banned will be fried foods. Any plates must be reusable or compostable. Catered meals will be expected to follow a strict color code. Such meals must not only be locally or organically grown, but consist of at least three of the following five colors -- red, green, yellow, blue/purple and white. (Oranges and carrots would appear to be have lost out.)“‘Blue could be a challenge,’ Ed Janos, owner of the local Cook's Fresh Market, told the Denver Post. ‘All I can think of are blueberries.’ Nick Agro, owner of Whirled Peas Catering, is worried. ‘I question the feasibility,’ he says, noting that the growing season in Colorado is short and that using ‘organic stuff pretty much doubles your price.’“Then there are ethical dilemmas. Compostable products, such as forks and knives made from cornstarch, usually are imported from Asia on massive, fuel-consuming freighters. Are they a better environmental choice than recyclable plates?”
Court may Suspend NYC Calorie Count Law until Final Ruling
A federal appeals court considering a challenge to the New York City menu labeling ordinance from the New York State Restaurant Association may suspend the city’s power to enforce the law until a final decision is reached by the court. (The Daily Record, NJ) The city has been issuing citations for non-compliance but said it wouldn’t fine offenders until July 18. At least one judge on the panel considering the suit is reluctant to allow the fines in the event that the court rules in favor of the restaurants.
LABOR/WAGE
Delaware Minimum Wage Bill Ready for House Vote
A bill to raise Delaware’s minimum wage to $7.75 on March 1, 2009 and again to $8.25 in 2010 has been approved by the House Labor Committee. The bill has already passed the Senate and is now ready for a final vote in the House. The House is Republican-controlled and businesses have already been lobbying against the bill. (The News Journal, DE)
Rhode Island Senate Passes Indexing Bill
The state Senate passed by a 32-0 vote a bill to index Rhode Island’s minimum wage (by automatic yearly increases of 3% to keep with inflation). (Providence Journal, RI) The bill would be effective on January 1, 2009. Gov. Carcieri (R) has acknowledged that the increase could hurt small businesses in the state. (Boston Globe) Rhode Island already has one of the highest minimum wages at $7.40. The bill now goes to the House for consideration.
SMOKING
Pennsylvania Senate Approves Compromise Smoking Ban Bill
On Tuesday, the state Senate passed a statewide smoking ban bill – revised earlier this week to include the compromise language allowing Scranton and Allegheny County to enact their own stricter ordinances. (The Morning Call, PA) The bill bans smoking in all public indoor facilities except bars (with less than 20% of their annual revenue in food sales), private clubs and casinos, cigar bars, and tobacco shops. (Philadelphia Business Journal) Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is expected to sign the bill, which will then go into effect in 90 days. (My Fox Philadelphia)
Ohio Supreme Court Does Not Allow Additional Exemptions to State Smoking Ban
In a 4-3 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected Gov. Ted Strickland’s attempt to exempt veterans’ halls and other member-only clubs from the state smoking ban. The law – which went into effect in May 2007 – bans smoking in restaurants, bars, and nearly all other public buildings. (Columbus Dispatch, OH)
Loophole in Iowa Smoking Ban Exempts Outdoor Bar Seating
Review by the state legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee, determined that the statewide smoking ban covers outdoor seating areas at restaurants, but not bars. Bars are considered to be businesses that do not have a food preparation facility, but can still serve snacks that are “incidental to the consumption of alcoholic beverages”. (The Hawk Eye, IA) The law goes into effect on July 1.
Kenn Rockler, Executive DirectorBowling Proprietors Association of MN & The Tavern League of Minnesota235 Roselawn Avenue East Suite #17Maplewood, MN 55117On the web www.bpam.org or www.tavernleaguemn.orgBPAM Phone: 651-487-2141 or 1-800-622-7769Tavern League of Minnesota 651-487-2149 or 1-877-332-9257 Cell phone: 612-205-0110
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