From New Jersey comes the latest information on the economic devastation caused by smoking bans. Here it is…
“Competition from surrounding states and a partial smoking ban has taken a toll on the Atlantic City casinos. And now it’s hitting the workforce. Resorts and the Hilton, both owned by Colony Capital, confirmed yesterday they were offering buyouts to managers in an effort to avoid layoffs. … The news comes less than a week after the New Jersey Casino Control Commission released second quarter results that showed gross operating profits — a widely watched figure in the industry — plunged 19 percent. … The news comes less than a week after the New Jersey Casino Control Commission released second quarter results that showed gross operating profits — a widely watched figure in the industry — plunged 19 percent. … ‘In fact, we estimate that this partial smoking ban has resulted in $1 million in lost revenue per month at Hilton and Resorts combined’ “.
Just ignore that: after all, people go out of business every day, what’s the prob?… Or, perhaps, go to “public heath” and ask for a refund so that you can see the length of its finger. Better yet, let’s “attribute" this to something else, and call those who say otherwise “tobacco industry stooges”. Here is another one: let’s get the Big Pharma boys on the blower and tell them to toss a couple of ‘mils’ on the table of con artist super-star Stanton Glantz to pass off himselff as an economist once again, and produce yet another supreme piece trash study that “demonstrates” a profit instead; after all, it’s just numbers. Then we can attach it to the unemployment stubs of the (former) casino employees. When there is “health” there is everything!
And let’s face it, folks: “health first” is the motto of the times, isn’t it?… Economic devastation becomes an “acceptable collateral damage”, that’s it. What the hell, if that definition works for the coffins that come back from Iraq where we have no business to be in the first place, how can it not work for filthy places such as casinos!
But there is something else that casinos have to face also: their own stupidity and cowardice, as kissing ass may work most of the times – but not all the times. Let’s not forget that the casino workers in New Jersey stood side by side with the antismoker cons at the smoking bans council hearings. They wanted to be “protected” from the non-existing dangers of second hand smoke. And the casinos managements, in general, would not stand in the way of the “public health authorities”, either. Political correctness must go hand in hand with “public health” BS.
Well, enjoy the smoke-free air now. It must be just lovely — especially when you stand in an unemployment line or while you are waiting for the unemployment check. It may not be very noble or intelligent, but our emotional reaction is quite human: we are grinning from ear to ear. Next time get smarter (and especially more educated on the passive smoke fraud), and don’t kiss ass too much. In the meantime we smoke (and eat, and drink…) at home, gambling away the money we save right on the kitchen table: it’s a hell of a lot better (and cheaper) than a “smoke-free” environment!…
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