Let businesses decide

I urge everyone who plans to vote this April to read the smoking ban ordinance. A copy is available at city hall and on the city's website.

This draconian ordinance is unreasonably restrictive. "All enclosed facilities" are subject to this smoking ban, including: bars, facilities for bingo, gaming and conventions, private clubs (VFW, Legion, Eagles, etc.), billiard parlors, bowling alleys, motels, lobbies, common areas in trailer parks, restrooms, hallways, outdoor arenas, employee lounges and any outdoor places that are "within a reasonable distance of outside entrances, operable windows and ventilation systems?"

An individual's fine is $50. A business owner can be fined $500 each day an infraction occurs. So, a person smoking outside the back door of a bar could cost that owner $500. What's the remedy? Ban smoking customers entirely, I suppose.

The ordinance presented by Breathe Easy Cape Girardeau was not written by local citizens. It comes from the Americans for Non-Smokers Rights website.

Since this national group (ANR) has been unsuccessful at making tobacco illegal, they are now trying to outlaw use at the local level. Like it or not, tobacco is still legal for adults to buy, sell and consume in America. We have enough restrictive governmental regulations.

Any business may ban smoking as they see fit, many in Cape Girardeau already have. If the economic effect of a smoking ban is so beneficial to businesses, why not let the people who have invested in the community decide that for themselves?

CHRIS MOORE, Cape Girardeau