Several recent opion surveys reveal a substantial drop in support for schemes to punish those with "unhealthy" lifestyles. As usual the lawmakers are slow to get the message.
At a conference attended by legislators, bar owner’s and lobbyists to discuss the calamitous drop in revenue due to Colorado’s statewide smoking ban the disconnect between the people and their "representatives" couldn’t have been more glaring. Despite the over $30-million loss of revenue, derived from statistics from the state’s Department of Revenue, the legislators were adamant that regardless of the negative impact of the smoking ban there would be no changes to the state law.
In an opinion piece for the Colorado Springs Gazette, Norman Kjono warns the unresponsive legislature that blindly adhering to the anti-business policies of special interest groups at the expense of tax-paying citizens is a course that can have only negative results for the politicians so captivated by ideologues. Refusing to consider the real, devastating harm that is occurring because of the smoking ban is a statement that legislators do not care about the wellbeing of small businesses in Colorado. Those dismissed at the conference by the politicians vow to continue to press for relief from the harm the smoking ban law is inflicting. The facts now are known and the legislators will be held accountable.
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