The role of local government

By David Schlesinger

Bambenek was dead on in his “Welcoming in our new health conscious overlords” opinion piece in Friday’s DI. His subtle sarcasm was perfect for getting his message across and I’m sure will do much to stimulate civilized debate.

My only criticism of Bambenek is that he failed to take the logic of his argument all the way. He’s absolutely right; supply and demand should be the sole factor in shaping public policy. But why stop at a smoking ban? What about alcohol? Bar owners will stand to make a lot more money if the drinking age was eliminated. And what about adult entertainment? Strip clubs in Campustown would be a gold mine for their owners. The tax revenue would be an incredible benefit to the city. Who is the government to stop it?

Efforts to curb the rights of business owners will do nothing but harm local economies. Look at the devastating effect smoking bans have had on places like New York, California, Ireland and Italy. Their economies are practically in ruins.

If we continue to let these “board room elites” infect our private lives, where will it stop? Next they’ll be forcing all of us to eat Subway and wear Birkenstocks.

David Schlesinger

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

graduate student