In Tuesday's election, Appleton voters said no to the referendum for a softening of the smoking ban. Restaurants, bars, and other business will remain smoke free - though I think we'll continue to see a few "smoke easies" in town. 57% of Appletonians voting rejected proposed changes in the smoking ban. Voter turnout was heavy, as reported by the Post-Crescent, with over 20,000 voters going to the polls (there were 11,559 no votes versus 8,674 yes). Unlike some other parts of the state, Appleton always has a voter turnout that is less than the total number of registered voters and certainly less than the total number of residents, even during Presidential elections - something we're proud of. We're also proud to report that the number of recorded votes is not substantially greater than the number of recorded voters - take that, Milwaukee!

Bar and restaurant owners are fuming over the smoking prohibition. They are so upset about it that they will seek to have it implemented across the state. That sounds funny at first, but it makes sense. Appleton's smoking ban puts them at a disadvantage relative to other communities. Well, why not even the playing field and impose the same smoking ban all over the state? Of course, then businesses near state borders will be at a disadvantage relative to other states, so we'll then need to go national. And then we'll see bar and restaurant business going to smoke-friendly Mexico and Canada, so an international effort will be needed to crack down on smoking - and soon or later we're going to have to invade some country on the other side of the world that doesn't cooperate with United Nations anti-smoking resolutions. Tobacco, you see, is a weapon of mass destruction. . . .