What the hell is Hammon talking about a 5 man committee. They didn't need one when the passed the no smoking ban. Why don't you people wake up and smell the roses? This is the worse council I've seen in all the yers I've been here. And to hire a professional manager and pay the mayor 200kl000. a year just for doing nothing? Boy, that's saving money.

if you are that dead set against smoking then..... BE PROGRESSIVE BE THE FIRST CITY IN THE NATION TO BAN TOBACCO ALTOGETHER FILL THE COUNCIL MEETING AND DEMAND THEY BAN THE SALE OF TOBACCO IN THE CITY, GET A PETITION TOGETHER, MAKE IT ILEAGLE TO OWN, OR USE TOBACCO OF ANY KIND, quit being such candy a@@s, get out there and fight for what you belive in. your city is so politically correct make a statement for the rest of the nation.

Warning to all those considering opening their restaurant to smoking. My wife and I will, once again, refuse to eat there. We don't enjoy smelling you stinky smoke. Maybe we'll just boycott any business where we have to go through a nasty cloud of foul air to get in there.

Imagine if arestaurant was allowed to pile garbage in the middle of the floor because some people liked it! For you smokers, that's what it's like for us.

Got a snide comeback, smokers? Figures!!

Well said Jenny! And unlike some of the other renderings herein, your class, as well as grammar and spelling, is appreciated! It's obvious many of these folks don't know whether they are "washing or hanging out", i.e., the mayor's salary is NOT $200k/yr.

Very well said Jenny! I love the Tombstone reference!

At the end of the day this is about property rights and individual freedom. Owning property gives you certain inviolate rights of possession, control, exclusion, enjoyment, and disposition of said property. So if a person owns a business and wishes to allow smoking (an otherwise legal activity) on premises then that is his right. By the same token if a property owner desired to exclude smokers or enforce a dress code or make patrons pass through security then that too is perfectly permissible because those practices arise out of the rights of property ownership. Most businesses understand that their clientele abhor cigarette smoke and would continue to prohibit it. But there are some businesses that cater to a crowd that enjoy smoking; and if the property owners don't mind having it on site then who are you to tell them that they can't? It is a fascist attitude to impose your beliefs on someone through coercion enforced by the government. I don't smoke and I don't like to go to places where smoking is allowed, but just because I don't like it doesn't mean that I have a right to impose my personal tastes on others and to tell someone what they can and can't do on there own property. Jenny, your points above only illustrate that smoke-friendly businesses would inconvenience you, but it doesn't refute the fact that you don't have to patronize a place that allows smoking. Period. If there are enough people like us that don't want to be around smoking (and I suspect there are) then I can assure you that someone will step into this market and accommodate us. Otherwise maybe you and your husband could take out a loan, obtain property and all the requisite licenses and permits, hire and train dozens of employees, and then you can operate an establishment that's 100% smoke-free and you can impose whatever rules you like. But if you're not willing to take this huge personal risk, then please allow others who are willing to run their businesses and manage their property as they see fit without government coercion. Property rights are, after all, the most important component of liberty.

will someone name one of these fine places to eat in decatur, where you can sit down have a drink, and a nice meal, for under a hundred bucks

I guess they figure that if the smoke is a blowing we will forget about the Busby deal???

I guess Hammon is trying to take the Mayor place at being stupid?

We won't forget about the Busbey deal. But, Rick is right, Hammond is approaching the stupidity level of Standford.

I will repeat an earlier comment. Govermnment tells business what do everyday. It seems this issue takes on a different meaning because it is tobacco. If Government has to get out of this arena, it also must leave the arena of building and health codes. It must surely leave the building when it comes to what a reasonable minimum wage should be for the work performed within a business. We really need to get past this notion that smoking is an exclusive right that defies logical handling of a known harm. It should not be any more acceptable to allow workers to be exposed to the more than 4000 chemicals in secondhand smoke as it is to allow workers to be exposed to benzene and asbestos. Come on, let's get past this rights issue and look at the health of the workers.

Mythbuster, You can get a meal, drink and appetizer for under $100 at most any restaurant in Decatur. What "fine places" are you referring to? Logans, O'Charleys, Red Lobster...the list goes on and on, all serve meals where two people can have an entree apiece, a drink and maybe even dessert or an appetizer for less than $100. Furthermore, what does that have to do with anything being discussed?

Jenny, Seriously? Drinkers are none of your business? Obviously you don't have small children. Try taking your 4 yr old into any restaurant that allows drinking (smoking or non-smoking) and sit anywhere near the bar area. By the way, many times, that is your only option. Then, listen to the foul language and crude discussions going on amongst the drinkers. Guarantee you will hear a few choice words. Now, is it not my right to be able to go into public and be able to have a meal without having to listen to that garbage? Let me tell you, yes it is. It is just as much my right to that as it is your right to have a smoke-free environment.

I still stand behind my original comment. Give the choice back to the owners. Let them decide if they will be non-smoking or not. If they go smoking and it TRULY hurts their business, you can bet they will go back to non-smoking. For many, many years, most private companies (excluding clubs and eateries) have been a smoke-free environment. No one had to tell them they had to do it. Just let the owners decide for themselves. Then all of the non-smokers can choose to go where they want to.