Thursday, October 05, 2006

The Pennsylvania Senate recognizes the severe health hazards of second-hand
smoke and wants to make sure you are fully protected -- unless you're in a
casino.
That outrageous loophole was part of a gambling-reform bill the Senate
passed last week. It prevents the state's 14 new slots venues from being
subjected to anti-smoking measures. Gary Tuma, an aide to Democratic State
Sen. Vince Fumo, of Philadelphia, noted that other states have shown
"considerable drops in revenue" when casinos are made to go smoke-free. "The
drops are 20 to 30 percent," Tuma said. "In a city like Pittsburgh, it could
be an $80 million, $100 million loss."
Why are politicians willing to accept that argument when it applies to
casinos, but not for restaurants, bars and private clubs? It's because of
the incredible political power that casino operators wield in Pennsylvania
these days. Gov. Rendell and the Legislature are counting on millions from
casinos to pay for property tax reform. If those dollars don't materialize,
neither do the tax benefits. So it doesn't matter if a local restaurant or
club loses business because its patrons are banned from smoking. But if
those same restrictions keep people away from slot machines, it's a
potential state crisis. To their credit, Allegheny County officials blanched
at the casino exemption when they learned of its existence last week. County
council approved a smoking ban last Tuesday, but many members are
reconsidering their votes after the Senate's action. It's been our position
all along that anti- smoking laws intrude on a decision that should be left
to private businesses and their customers. Politicians who contend that
smoking is too unhealthy to be permitted in public lose their credibility
when they hand out exemptions as political favors.