The anti-property rights zealots will stoop to any ridiculous claim to get their way,

It’s also a myth that mom-and-pop businesses in Indepedence were thriving prior to a smoking ban. That market can only support so many strip clubs and porn shops.

So beyond the negligible half-hour drive for Lawrence residents, there are “built-in” customer bases for both Independence and Lawrence. Both have smoking bans. One city’s downtown is thriving, another’s is a wasteland. There’s more to it than the smoking ban.

It’s a myth that no Lawrence businesses have been harmed. However, they do have the added benefits of a built-in customer base of college students, plus mainly the fact that there’s noplace else for residents to go without driving half an hour outside of town in any direction.

I can’t think of a single reason to visit Independence pre- or post-smoking ban, so I doubt that has much to do with it.

That also ignores Lawrence, which also has a government-imposed smoking ban. Last time I was there the restaurants, bars and concert venues on Massuchusetts seemed to be thriving.

Look at Independence. Family owned businesses that have thrived for decades are now dropping like flies because nonsmokers forced the issue yet still only go to the bland, sterile, “safe”, national chains that were mostly already smoke-free to begin with.