Tavern owners are calling Ald. Jean MacCubbin's, District 12, recent request for a proposal to ban smoking in Madison bars a \sneak attack"" backed by a personal agenda.
Subsequently, the Wisconsin Tavern League is uniting to stop the re-election of nine city council members who support the ban, according to Marsh Shapiro, owner of the Nitty Gritty, 223 N. Frances St.
MacCubbin said she has no specific plans to ban smoking in all bars, but asked that a proposal be drafted.
The new twist in the ongoing debate over smoke-free establishments came after the Wisconsin Restaurant Association asked for a cut-back on smoking restrictions, according to the alder. MacCubbin previously proposed a smoking ban in any establishment that received less than 50 percent of its total revenue from alcohol sales.
""I think they didn't get it that we want to eliminate or decrease smoking,"" she said. ""I'm not threatening them; that's the direction where municipalities are going.""
The hospitality industry, consisting of bars, restaurants and hotels, will lobby hard for the defeat of the alders they see as supportive of any possible ban, according to Shapiro.
""[We are] building a coalition of people that want to portray this as a choice issue, not a health issue,"" he said. ""[We] will fight to the death to remove candidates who are voting in their own personal agendas.""
MacCubbin said she was not too intimidated by the industry's attempt to remove her and others.
""People vote with their feet, and that they tend to go out more to places where they've stopped allowing smoking,"" she said.
Opponents said the ban will harm the hospitality industry, put out patrons and make a State Street Saturday night even more chaotic, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. Verveer said the ban would force bar patrons outside, leading to longer bar lines and causing students to move to unregulated house parties.
""The average student will probably spend more time drinking at home, at house parties and where you can light up,"" he said.
MacCubbin said she felt that was not true.
""That is not the case according to surveys we've done in the last five years in Madison,"" she said, adding, ""They have not shown me statistics.""
Nonetheless, bar owners said the ban is unnecessary because Madison has over 200 non-smoking establishments, and forcing current restaurants to switch would force them into too competitive of a market.
""If a single place goes out of business they should all be ashamed of themselves. If a businessperson loses a dollar that should not happen,"" Shapiro said.
