I don’t think Randy Mayer gets it. He’s actually amazed that the Ames City Council voted to not ban smoking in area restaurants. Perhaps, the Ames City Council decided local businesses know how to run their businesses better than any city council could. These business people know better then you, as well. If having a non-smoking environment in an eating establishment increases revenue, then there is nothing stopping a restaurant from doing that. When you start to force establishments to do something, we’re heading into a police state. If a restaurant wishes to allow smoking, that is its right, just as it is your right to not eat there. Mr. Mayer claims the Constitution doesn’t grant people the right to smoke in public. I’m sure the Constitution DOES grant restaurants the right to provide smoking if they wish. Perhaps there’s a restaurant you like, but it allows smoking. Rather than ban smoking everywhere, perhaps you could focus your attention on the establishment in question. I’m sure the people who supported this bill would be glad to organize a campaign to get smoking removed from that particular building. Businesses thrive on making you happy. If non-smoking makes their customers happy, that’s what they will do. If that’s not the establishment they want, it’s unfair for government to tell them how to run their business. Kevin Sullivan

Resident

Ames