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TERRY’S TIDBITS - EATERY DRINKERY, THE SMOKE COPS, SCOOTING ALONG, THE FEAR OF OIL…

By Terry Gray

EATERY DRINKERY

It seems that Baxter Avenue entertainment establishments have run across another obstacle in their fight to operate their businesses.  Residents in the area have been up in arms with the industry for quite some time concerning the noise, violence, and litter.  Residents have vowed to fight back, and they are finding ways that threaten the existence of these entertainment venues.

One measure that is being tossed around is the idea that many of these establishments have liquor licenses under the premise of being restaurants.  Under that heading, the “restaurants” must show revenue from food sales of at least 50%.  Residents say that this isn’t the case, and preliminary audits seem to agree.

I have an inclination to side with businesses.  But I also like peace in my neighborhood and my home.  This one is sticky.

I believe that the Baxter Avenue merchants that are causing the problems that the residents are kicking about have been operating for a long time under the idea that the amounts of taxes they pay protect them.  We all know that the city loves revenue, and the entertainment industry is often “very” taxed, whether one calls it taxes or fees.  There are big buckets hovering above them that dip down and swoop up enormous amounts of cash which go into the coffers of city government.  Baxter Avenue also sits right on the line of the city proper.  These establishments are almost downtown, a distinction which should make them valuable in our leaders’ quest to be a “world class city” and “vibrant downtown”.

However, 4^th street is the new child and pet of our eminent leadership.  Baxter Avenue competes with 4^th street.  Bad.  Now, complicate that with the anti-business attitude of Louisville, and Baxter Avenue takes on the role of Al-Queda operatives in New York City.  Bad.  These boys are so busy making money, upsetting residents, and interrupting the unnatural flow of business to downtown to recognize that the city will pull their licenses.

Now, add insult to injury.  These audits could produce a bunch of unlicensed bars in Louisville.  Should they pull some tricks out of their hats and survive as bars, they will not be subjected to the proposed smoking ban that would begin with restaurants.  But should they beat the rap, there will be no smoking in these establishments, as smoking in restaurants will be a thing of the past.  IF they hang on as bars only and the smoking ban for restaurants passes, it is only a matter of time before smoking in bars will be banned too.  These establishments that once enjoyed restaurant status will have to fight to stay in business as merely bars, but that will be short-lived.  The specter of death will swoop down upon them much like the former “bucket for bucks” wielded by the city, and a smoking ban will clean Baxter Avenue right down to the bone.

THE SMOKE COPS

The proposed smoking ban was tabled this week, because the city council didn’t know how it would be enforced.  Raise your hand if you believe that.  New laws are passed almost weekly with no regard to how they will be enforced.  Enforcement of smoking bans in other cities wasn’t a problem before passing bans.  But after the bans were passed enforcement became a problem.  So why is our city council actually thinking before acting?  They aren’t.

The city council is playing politics.  I wrote a nice letter (see letter, “Do you hear me?”) to the fine leaders of our community and got only one response.  It came from a council person that shall be unnamed at this time because he is a potential ally in our fight against the tyranny of smoking bans.

“The only reason I voted for the other ban was I knew it would not pass and Doug Hawkins said if you think second hand smoke causes illness vote for it so I did.”

I didn’t realize that councilmen represented councilmen.  For some odd reason, I thought that councilmen represented their constituents.  Those folks on the council could start a whole new trend that would take a lot of pressure off of campaigning for reelection; they could just vote for each other.  What do they need us for?  We are just peons that get in the way of their dictating!  Besides, the writer of the above response to my letter is a Democrat, and Hawkins is a Republican.  I like this more and more.  Let’s have the Libertarians, led by the people, lead the Republicans, who lead the Democrats.

In other cities that have banned smoking, the Health Department has been responsible for enforcement.  I guess they send them to officer training school and teach them how to acquire cop eyes, overlook citizens’ rights, shoot to kill, and otherwise harass common folks.  Have you ever noticed a cop’s eyes when he asks you a question?  They become all bright and glittery in anticipation of catching you in a lie.  Then they wonder why people get nervous when talking to a cop.  “I knew he was hiding something because he looked so jittery, so I shot him.”

Health Departments are not in the enforcement business.

Here’s a tidbit within a Tidbit:  In order for the citizens of the great country of America, land of the Free, to have the freedom to smoke on a plane, they have to fly Aeroflot, the Russian airline. What is wrong with this picture? 

So I’ve digressed; sue me.  This whole affair with the city council stepping on our local businesses is disgusting.  It is true tyranny, and it makes me mad. 

          “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered…” from The Crisis by Thomas Paine.

SCOOTING ALONG

Gather around now, because we have a serious problem – enforcement of scooter laws.  The problem is that there are no scooter laws, and that has some leaders worried.

          “What, no laws?  I thought we had all of our bases covered.  I want my money back from tyrant school.”

Picture, if you will, a little boy with a huge catfish on his fishing pole with no place to put it while other catfish are getting away.  “WE MUST ACT NOW!”

I bet there are some laws.  Try riding your scooter in a public park without a helmet.

THE FEAR OF OIL

Our gas prices are so high, because there is a fear that oil might become scarce.  So why was gas reasonable until now?  There are no more dinosaurs dying; I looked.

Why not be optimistic and hold the road until something does happen, THEN raise the price?  Well, what’s the fun in that?  Besides, it may not happen, and then the opportunity to gouge the public will be gone.

Dennis Miller did say something that I found interesting concerning gas prices.  He thought that moving a 1,500 pound piece of metal 20 miles down the road for less than 2 bucks was pretty cheap.  Yeah, but it isn’t as satisfying as moving that same piece of metal for a buck or less.

Every now and then these comparisons will pop up that show the price of gas against the price of ketchup, Preparation H and shampoo.  They are intended to show us that gas really is cheap and we should appreciate the value.  But I don’t use a gallon of shampoo every time I shower, and if my fries are so rotten that I need a gallon of ketchup, I’m not going to eat the fries.  Do I need to comment on the Preparation H?  It would cost three hundred bucks to fill up your car with high test shampoo, and if you are buying Preparation H by the gallon...  do I need to comment on the Preparation H by the gallon?

ESCORT SERVICES

“We have to attack now before the family values of our community are corrupted.”  Isn’t prostitution the second oldest profession?  Sounds like the British, before making their two week voyage to the Falklands, “We are attacking now!”

Why do our leaders feel the need to control human behavior that is, always has been, and forever will be beyond their control?  Just take out a hammer and hit yourself everyday, over and over and you’ll accomplish the same thing.  Here’s Tommy Paine again.

“Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices.”  From:  Common Sense.

I understand that folks in these ritzy neighborhoods don’t want sex occurring there.  It is a travesty.  Sex is a horrid affair that should be locked away in the dark recesses reserved for the less well-to-do.  Children shouldn’t know that prostitution exists, for if they don’t know then it can’t touch them.

Seriously, what is the beef?  Is anyone looking in the bedrooms of these brothels?  Don’t escort services send women out on “dates”?  If the dates are taking place on the escort service property then we have a problem with word definition and usage.  If the beef is about escorts showing up in the neighborhoods, then we have another whole ball game.  Is someone at a specific location calling 4 or 5 escort services a night?  That guy must be preserved for science.

I heard someone say that it is appalling that escorts are associated with their neighbors.  I understand; it is hell to live next to human beings.

DO YOU HEAR ME?

The Louisville city council doesn’t put its ears on very often.  They have a lot of meetings to listen to the concerns of the common folks, but they do this out of obligation.  They don’t seem to realize that obligation extends past putting on a show of listening.  Their obligation is to listen.  Here’s a letter that I sent them.

Sent: 6/16/2004 9:25 AM

Subject: smoking ban

Good morning.  There is a meeting and vote on smoking bans this evening. I cannot make the meeting, but I wanted to say a few things to you before you make a decision.

You are all obviously intelligent people.  Just as important is the fact that you have been entrusted with the leadership of this community. This responsibility cannot be taken lightly.

I don't want to go into facts, as I'm sure that you as a group have been inundated with "facts."  Smoke-free Louisville wants you to believe their way and we want you to believe our way.  But in this battle there has been an important factor omitted - the citizens.  What do they want? As representatives, and I can't stress that word too strongly, your obligation is to see past the misleading arguments that can sway you away from your representative duties. 

There are a few citizens that want a smoking ban; they are far from the majority.  In actuality, the majority don't care if smoking is banned when it comes to the risks of second hand smoke.  Most understand that they have the option of patronizing places that permit smoking and see this option as their right to decide.  But that same majority, although they don't strongly express it, oppose bans because of what they see as freedom of choice.  Out in front of the battle are two groups that have strong opinions both pro and con, but behind the scenes are the voters and citizens, the majority.  They don't get involved because the issue is not that important to them.

This brings us to the gist of the argument: Why is a smoking ban being considered?  If the majority of citizens have not become involved in the fight, there obviously isn't an issue of smoking bans and this in itself is reason to leave it alone.

Many surveys have been done in Louisville.  EVERY one of them has clearly demonstrated that the majority don't want a ban.  Why are we not listening to this information?  More to the point, why is the council not listening?  The citizens of this community DO NOT want a smoking ban.  As sworn representatives, you have the obligation to do what you have been elected to do, represent.

Thanks for your time and consideration. 

Yours in freedom.

"The cigarette Nazis said they didn't care about what people did to their own lungs; they only cared about the health effects on others -- secondhand smoke. I said that's a smoke screen to conceal their true agenda. In California, there's a movement to outlaw smoking on beaches, many outdoor stadiums have banned smoking, and there have been attempts to ban smoking on streets and parks. I'd like to see the health study pointing to the deaths and injuries stemming from secondhand smoke outdoors.

The bottom line here isn't ladies' night or smoking. It's how we Americans are allowing tyrants to attack our liberties. If we allow them to continue, once we wake up we won't have enough freedom to stop them from turning us into a nation of serfs."

                     Walter E. Williams, http://www.townhall.com/columnists/walterwilliams/ww20040616.shtml

<http://www.townhall.com/columnists/walterwilliams/ww20040616.shtml>

UNDEADLY FORCE

I normally pounce on cops; I don’t like them as a force.  As individuals, they are like the rest of us.  Some I can take, and some I can’t.  When I bust their chops, I do it because I see an impropriety in their actions, usually an “above the law” attitude that goes against my grain and the grain of this country.

However, a recent incident involving a crazy woman getting shot in the leg by a cop should be viewed as a step forward for our community and perhaps country.

Cops are taught to use deadly force when shooting.  The largest area on the person is the target – the torso.  The cop doing the shooting in this case broke the rules and wounded instead of killing.  Now the victim’s husband is complaining.  Shut up.

He says that the cops had nabbed his wife earlier and let her go.  I guess at the time they had nothing on her.  But the husband also has to consider that this is a woman’s world when it comes to law enforcement.  A woman only has to say “violence” and the man is in jail.  A man can scream it and the cops do nothing, and it ain’t the cops making the rules.  I believe in equal rights, but more than equal causes problems.

The bottom line is in keeping things in perspective.  The cops got their man, woman in this case, and she has a hole in her leg.  The husband should be happy that she isn’t splattered all over the side of the building. 

Terry Gray

Strider1@insightbb.com

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