Ontario Anti Smoking Laws 2
An interesting bit of news hit the Windsor Star the other day and I thought I would share it with you. I know this will be important to us Windsorites, but it easily can be transferred throughout Ontario and even Canada as a whole.
On Jan. 17/05, Casino Windsor confirmed the layoff of 201 employees. This figure includes 164 full-time positions. A myriad of excuses for the layoffs was given, but let’s say the most important one was that after 9/11 the casino never rebounded from it’s loss of American customers.
On Feb. 14/05 the government patted itself on the back for providing the funds to erect a $400 million convention centre, auditorium and hotel. Perhaps some of those laid off will be recalled. It remains to be seen if this will draw the Americans back. Conspicuous is the fact that the casino itself did not put any money in the pot. It is being paid for directly by the taxpayers of Ontario.
On Mar. 1/05 Casino Windsor reports that its revenue has dropped 13.6% for the period ending Dec. 31, 2004. This is the third straight quarter of revenue loss. It seems the Americans are leaving in droves and a 400 million dollar hotel is not going to bring them back.
On Sept. 20/05 Statistics Canada says the number of same-day travellers from the USA dropped to its lowest monthly number on record in July. Again, this is after the announcement of the grand, new hotel proposed by the government. I guess we have to wonder just who is going to fill all those rooms and seats in this facility. It doesn’t appear that we can depend on the Yanks.
Do we see a pattern here? The casino is on a downhill slide and the smoking laws are still 5 months away.
It is estimated that once the smoking laws kick in, the government will lose a minimum of $350 million per year that it currently collects from casino revenues. Our MPP’s nonchalantly tell us that we (the government) will adjust and make up the shortfall elsewhere. Make no mistake, they will adjust and make up that shortfall. It will come out of the pockets of taxpayers once again.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½
Perhaps the casino will get an exemption to this stupid law, but that would open the door to every bar, restaurant, legion and bingo hall to line up for an exemption. It is interesting to note that casinos on Indian lands will not be affected by this law.
Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½Though the province tells the Indians what to do at almost every turn, this somehow falls under federal jurisdiction. Maybe the Indians are just better fighters than we are and the government knows they wouldn’t put up with this crap.
DSR’s work and anyone who can’t see that has head stuck where the sun don’t shine. A lot of letters to the editor from B.C. claim that province is smoke free and it hasn’t affected sales of anything. What they don’t tell you is that B.C. uses DSR’s throughout the province and everything pretty much stayed on an even keel. When the Alberta government proposed a province wide smoking ban, Klein said fine as long as exemptions are made for bars, restaurants, legion and bingo halls and casinos.
Here is a premier who knows where he can get a lot of money and he is not about to kill his golden goose. Our premier, Squinty McGuinty, never met a tax dollar he didn’t want, but somehow he’s willing to throw away a guaranteed source of high revenue. Perhaps, like his health tax, sorry, surcharge, he can find more things to tax at a higher rate and pat himself on the back for doing a good job.
I don’t care what party it is in the next provincial election, the one that promises to repeal this draconian law will get my vote.
