This is a regional economic game which has been playing out forever....against smoking, we have three from Minnesota, Indiana and what, New York. I don't suppose tobacco is too big of a cash crop in those states. It has historically been taxed at much higher rates up north, as has whiskey, made in the south. To get even, southern stated, before Anheuser Busch and Miller began building breweries all over, taxed the heck out of beer which was coming from Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Baltimore.

I can still go into a grocery store here in Tennessee and buy a carton of full flavored, 100 millimeter cigarettes, made here in the USA for under $11.00 a carton with tax. What are you paying in New York City?

The more the northern attitudes get forced on he south, the more we resent yankees... period.

If you don't want to smoke, fine. Leave me the hell alone.

As far as individual clubs making their choices, fine. It is their choice. When a venue is non-smoking, but goes out of its way to accomodate smokers with a well covered outside smoking area, or porch and mounts good speakers outside so the smokers do not have to miss the show, I will frequent the place with regularity.

When a place like the Bluebird, (and I love Barbara Cloyd) overpacks its customers so you can not hardly get outside to smoke, does not provide a porch enclosure and the speakers are tinny sounding...it is my least favorite live entertainment venue in Nashville because the management specifically makes it uncomfortable for me to be a customer. It has to be a writer I really want to catch for me to drive 45 miles each way and be subjected to the elements.

dawg

[This message has been edited by greydog (edited 03-29-2004).]

Wisdom does not always accompany age. Sometimes
age just shows up alone.