I’ve lived in Prescott for 28 years, and have seen a lot of changes……

Here is my take on the smoking ban: I miss all my smoking friends. I go to any of my favorite local taverns, and there is nobody there except us nonsmokers. If the bar is so lucky to have an outdoor smoking area, that’s where I have to go to find my smoking friends. If they are not there, then I don’t really know where they’ve gone, but my assumption is that they are outside the city limits spending their money in another establishment that is not affected by the new law.

Every bar owner that I know (and I know a lot of them) reports sagging business numbers, some as high or higher than 50 percent. There is talk of canceling long-running live music gigs as well as other cutbacks necessary due to lack of business. Everyone knew that the bars would suffer when the ban went into effect. But none of the advocates of this ridiculous law seem to care about the welfare of these local citizens and neighbors who are just trying to make a living like the rest of us. One of the advocates’ arguments is that they are thinking of the welfare of the employees. Here’s what your law has done to these same employees you care so much about: their tips and wages are way down, most of them smoke anyway, and those who don’t smoke accept the fact that they work in a bar and can put up with it. One bartender I know, who only had to work Friday and Saturday nights to make enough money to live on, is thinking of quitting her job, because it’s not paying the bills.

And where are all these advocates who said they would start frequenting these establishments, if only smoking were not allowed in them?

I am a 46 year old Arizona native, born and raised in Phoenix, and have lived in Prescott my entire adult life (since 1978). I remember when 69 was a two lane road all the way to the interstate, Bullwhacker Hill was even more dangerous than it is now, and you saved your nickels during the summer, because in the winter everything slowed down and all the tourists went home. Whiskey Row has always been a powerful draw in this community. I have a website dedicated to Whiskey Row (www.whiskeyrow.us), an office in the historic Palace building, and two bars on The Row as website clients. This information will hopefully indicate to you my direct ties to this community that I love so much. I sincerely hope that this ban is overturned, and our beloved town can return to normal.

Dave Ticer
Prescott