Consequences of government actions

I love this post over at Boots & Sabers.

But you have to read all of the way to the end of the story to find this:

Bussan, who blames Madison’s new smoking ban for some of the downturn in his business, said he hopes to provide health insurance again if business picks up.

Here we have yet another unintended negative consequence from a liberal policy. While the liberals in Madison are attempting to save everybody from themselves, they are pricing families out of health insurance. Typical.

In the comments, those who favor Madison's smoking ban avoid this discussion of the economic impact on the employees and instead argue the topic on safe workplace grounds. That argument does not make any sense, though. First, employees are free to leave for a nonsmoking workplace anytime they choose. Second, even if you buy the statistics on second hand smoke, a work environment with second hand smoke is still safer than many industrial, construction, and agricultural work places. By the logic of Owen's pro-smoking ban commentors, we'd have to start banning combines, saws, augers, and really any kind of moving machinery that routinely kills and maims Americans on the job. There are many jobs in this country that are inherently risky, and we all have the freedom to decide if they are worth the risk before we take them.