Council Member,

The anti smoking hysteria sweeping Minnesota continues to amaze me. Never before have I seen so many people willing to believe the exaggerated claims, biased and false studies and hype spouted by the smoke-hater crowd. Common sense and a little research should have been enough to put an end to this fiasco.


I have owned my bar and restaurant for 25 years. I have paid over a million dollars in assorted taxes, hired hundreds of employees and adapted to every change in law, city policy and social trend during that time. I love this business, my staff and yes, most of my customers. I work very hard. The idea of restricting a legal product on private property might be the final straw for me to continue to want to do business here. The fact remains the death count from second hand smoke is still zero and a nonsmoker must go out of their way to be offended by smoke. The fear business owners have for their livelihood is justified.


The market place drives the issue and bar owners, by self-imposed partial bans or technology, have met that need for our customers. Telling a smoker he or she is welcome in the bar but can't smoke is like telling a vegetarian his favorite restaurant is now a steak house but he is still welcome to come in. A bar is exactly where you SHOULD be allowed to smoke.


Thankfully Mayor Kelly vetoed your smoking ban, it's nice to see some common sense over there. Small businesses everywhere are thanking Mayor Kelly today and wondering when your term expires.

Sue Jeffers
Stub and Herb's
227 S.E. Oak Street
Minneapolis, MN