jterry...., the slippery slope claim has hit the bottom of its own slippery slope. This issue is not a step toward the loss of all individual rights. By the way, what happened to the "smoking ban will hurt businesses" issue?

no leostime36, you are to blind to buy any argument, just when did your mother ever let you make your own decsions? I bet never, how many times have you been afraid to leave your house because "SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME" I bet alot you and others like you are so afraid of the boogy man that you need others, like big brother to hold your hand, pat you on the head and tell you evrything is going to be all right, GROW UP!!!!!

no gazettefan, The problem I am having is people like you and others like you think that this discussion is about a smoke ban, what it is all about is that you and all others like you are willing to roll over and let big govt make all of your life decisions for you, do you also need someone to tell you when to wipe yor butt? it sure sounds that way to me. stand up for yourselves and tell the govt. to get the hell out of our lives. that is what it is all about

People making comments about smoking bans effecting businesses must not get out of lil old Janesville much. Travel to any state where the bans are in effect and you will see waiting lines to get in. Places are busier than they were BEFORE the bans.
People who keep using the broken record phrase "bars will be closing", need to come up with something more believable...most of us aren't buying that one.

i agree w jerry that the govt should have no say on whether a business owner goes smoke free. timeout in the ville an the grumpy troll in mt horeb are successful as voluntary smoke free bars. they should have a statewide referendum on it, but thats not possible in wi. there are a few things they should let the people vote on but never will.

i also agree w gfan tho that it wont hurt business when the bars go smoke free.

It's a fact that smoking bans do not harm businesses.

No he isn't, gazettefan. More job loss and business closures because Mr./Mrs. Prim and Proper don't want to smell like smoke or they have to go home and wash all their clothing. God forbid this happens. There will be bars and bar/restuarants closing, I'll bet my bippy!!!

jtterry...., if Wisconsin was close enough for his customers to be disloyal to him then, the problem wasn't a smoking ban in Illinois, the problem was that there was no smoking ban in Wisconsin (one will begin on July 5th).

If that bar closed for the reason you claim then, you can blame the Wisconsin Tavern League for maneuvering to delay the Wisconsin smoking ban. If Wisconsin had a smoking ban sooner then, that bar wouldn't have closed for your stated reason. You're having a problem with cause and effect.

They went to wisconsin, my point about this story is for something to be this far reaching, this should be put up to a state wide referendum, do we not live in a Democracy? or do we keep letting people like Debbie Fischer tell us that we are to stupid and she and only her know what is good for us!!. Think about it how many times are you going to let her and people like her keep taking away our individual freedoms, where does it stop?

Where are the customers now during the time they used to spend at his bar? Do they only drink at home?

I used to take the train from Harvard,Ill to chicago to visit my brother, not to far from the station was a little beer and shot bar, owned be vietnam vet, 2 tours he did, he got his GI bill bought this little bar and did the American dream thing, Ill went smoke free, he lost customers and he lost his business, know what really stinks about this? People like Debbie Fischer would never go to place like this little bar because she and others like her are social snobs, The do not like smoking so lets make everyone else pay for her self righteous attitude, after all she is going to save me from myself

This is ironic. Make cigarettes totally unaffordable and cut back on programs to help people quit! Seems assnine to me.

I even have a suggestion what they can use for their little campaign. for a salute when ever you see a smoker, he has to be at least 50feet from you, do your little hand wave to wave off all of the offensive smoke, for you national anthem do your little cough,debbie Fischer you should know this well, you are very good at making stupid remarkes and statements, do your little stupid fake cough

jjl they harass smokers

i have a hard time believing that they were giving any funding at all..who is being paid for this? what does this coalition do?