IS IT TRUE February 13, 2014

IS IT TRUE that some of the bars of Evansville have already exercised the rights granted back to them by the Indiana Supreme Court by its determination that the City of Evansville passed a resolution that violated the constitution with a smoking ban that allowed an exemption for the Casino?…one of those bars is the popular watering hole in downtown Evansville called the Peephole?…the owner who many of us know as a good person who is a pleasure to be around even claims to have polled his customers and to have roughly a 2 to 1 majority expressing a desire for the Peephole to be a smoking bar once again?…the comments beneath his announcement on the Peephole’s Facebook page are more tilted the other way with well over a hundred patrons posted kind words followed by “I will not be back if you start allowing smoking again” or something to that effect?…if the comments are an indication of things to come the Peephole is about to lose a boatload of customers over the decision to allow smoking again but who knows, maybe there are enough smokers to make up for the losses?…time will tell?

IS IT TRUE among the bars in Evansville that have decided to remain smoke free are the Lamasco Bar & Grill, KC’s Timeout Lounge, Doc’s, Phoenix Night Club, Bokeh Lounge and Jimtown Bar?…the ruling by the Supreme Court which the CCO believes was the correct ruling has added a bit of chaos to the City of Evansville on top of the chaos that already rules the place with all of the delays and uncertainties associated with the 5 ½ years of delays of four golden shovel events for a new downtown convention hotel?…the real kicker with the negation of the “split the baby” smoking ban is the fact that the pro-forma estimates of the room rates and occupancy rates of the badly wanted downtown convention hotel just got negated too?…it has been widely publicized in Indianapolis that a smoking ban and only a smoking ban revitalized their convention business?…the biggest assertions on a need for a convention hotel in Evansville are all about the many conventions that will come if only we build a hotel?…if a 1,005 room 4-Star hotel did not help Indianapolis’s convention business without a smoking ban, one would have to be smoking some medicinal marijuana to believe a 256 room Doubletree would help Evansville’s prospects for conventions with people puffing away all over the place?…whatever considerations have been given to the projections for the vapor hotel will need to be revisited with less conventions in the mix?

IS IT TRUE the University of Evansville Aces rushed out to a 25 point lead over Missouri Valley Conference rival Illinois State last night before losing the entire lead and going into overtime?…the good news is that the Aces won the game by 6 points and the bad news is that the student section had exactly 5 people sitting in it during the second half?…the same delusion that thinks some bricks will draw conventions was on steroids when community leaders convinced themselves that a new arena would bring back the crowds for basketball?…GROUPTHINK sessions are some of the most dangerous and delusional places to make decisions?…WINNING SELLS TICKETS and always has?…as we have said many times if UE wins 25 games a year for several years in a row the crowds will be back whether they play in Ford Center, a pole barn, or an empty field?

IS IT TRUE Mayor Winnecke and City Council President John Friend are working together for once to search for a solution to the stricken down “split the baby” smoking ban?…it seems as though they both understand the gravity of the situation of either losing boat money with a comprehensive ban or seeing the prospects for conventions (other than tobacco peddlers conventions) vaporize before a golden shovel event?…the choices are stark and they are the elected leaders who have to choose?…Mayor Winnecke has always been a vocal advocate for banning smoking but is now sounding a bit wishy-washy?…Councilman Friend has always been an advocate for one set of rules for all even when he was casting a YES vote for the “split the baby” resolution?…the bottom line here is these guys have to make a choice and stick with it?…behind door number one is the status quo as of 2006 and a happy riverboat?…behind door number two is a convention hotel and a non-smoking town?…both choices are constitutional but “splitting the baby” is not?…it will be interesting to watch these two elected leaders who fought like the dickens to hold these jobs reach a decision?

IS IT TRUE there is one more uncertainty that may just hurt like the dickens?…that is the question of “would you put a medical school in a smoking zone?”