Several Michigan Businesses Want to Fight Smoking Ban with Tax Tactic

FERNDALE, Mich. (WJBK) - We talked with the manager at Soho in Ferndale. He said for them the smoking ban has been a good thing and not hurt business. We also went to a bar in Trenton and the smoking ban has not been so good. They're really having a tough time there.

Buster's Place in Trenton is barely treading water because, by law, customers and employees have to go outside to take a smoke break and it's breaking the bank.

"When it first started, we (saw) a lot of our patrons leave because it's easier to just stay at home, drink your beer and you're able to smoke there," said bartender Tylene Lezotte.

"You use to come here, you (had) to wait to get into this place, and it's really slowed down a lot," said customer Buz Anderson.

"We've lost our Keno players. My Keno is cut in half. My alcohol sales have cut in half," said Pam Lezotte, the owner of Buster's Place.

We have seen a lot of families, children that come in, and that's no big deal, but they come in and they're only drinking water and pop, and that's not where you're making your money," Tylene Lezotte said.

"My bar is completely empty at eight o'clock at night. I can actually close my doors at eight o'clock," Pam Lezotte said.

"It's hard to pay my bills now," said Tylene Lezotte.

"I have a stack … of unpaid tabs where people have walked out of here … because they've been outside smoking," said Pam Lezotte.

So now, more than 200 business owners across the state want to send a big message to Lansing. It's a bold move.

"What we're going to do is we want to take our taxes and put them in an escrow and say, hey, Lansing, it's time you guys step up and see what you're doing to this state and all the little business owners. They're folding every day. Every time I talk to a new bar owner, they're telling me … I'm on the edge. I'm on the edge of putting my bar on the market or I'm ready to walk away from it," Pam Lezotte said.

Clearly, they want Lansing to listen to them and reopen the dialogue when it comes to the private property tobacco use ban, but the pro ban people have taken a pretty firm stance, too.

"I love the smoking ban. I like to come and drink and not smell the other people's cigarettes blowing in my face. I don't like the second hand smoke," said customer Jay Lukas.

"I don't know how it affects their business and personally I don't care, but they get more of my business … Right now, the law is what the law is and I'm in favor of it."

We did put a call into the governor's office, and it was a spokesperson from the Michigan Department of Community Health that actually called us back. She did not say whether or not lawmakers in Lansing would listen, but did say the smoking ban is a good thing for the health of the people of Michigan. She added it has been very successful in getting many people to stop smoking.