WI tavern owners: differing opinions, a stark contrast

Here's a gem from today's Wausau Daily Herald.

"It's dumb to take a job at a tavern and then complain smoking bothers you," [said Pamela Chahdi, a smoker from Schofield who used to own The Office, which is a bar in Schofield.]

Does that sound right to you?
Reading that quote made me mad, but I'm glad not all Wisconsin tavern owners feel their workers' health is expendable. The Green Bay Press-Gazette posted the following letter to the editor on their website Saturday:

Bar/restaurant owner endorses smoking ban
TWO RIVERS - All employees - no matter where they work in Wisconsin - deserve to work in a clean, smoke-free atmosphere. It's a matter of conscience. It's a matter of good health.

And it will eventually save the people of Wisconsin and the state a ton of money in health-care costs.

As the owner of a bar and restaurant in Two Rivers that has been in our family for 103 years, I strongly support the proposed legislation to ban smoking in all Wisconsin workplaces. We do not want to become the ashtray of the Midwest, since Illinois and Minnesota have recently passed smoking bans. Most smokers today understand the reasoning and will, if somewhat grudgingly, accept the ban. Now is the time. Support the proposed state Senate smoking ban legislation and let's make Wisconsin a truly healthy place to live and work.

James E. Christensen, Kurtz's Pub and Deli

Don't forget tomorrow is the committee vote on SB 150. We'll be live blogging and you can catch the committee meeting online at 10:00 a.m. at www.wiseye.org.