I'm stuck at work on this Thanksgiving Eve and I've been killing time by arguing with anti-smokers over at "Portland's Future Awesome," a new local blog devoted to urban planning. The topic? Whether or not there should be a local ordinance that would ban smoking in Portland bars ala Eugene, NYC, etc. Here's a direct link to the bickering already in progress.

While I'm only an occasional smoker, I'm completely opposed to this hypothetical ordinance, even if the likelihood of it becoming a reality is high. Nevertheless, as a wise man once said, "the drinking bone is connected to the smoking bone" and there's plenty of people in this town that like to do both at the same time. I say owners should be the ones to decide to ban cigarettes in their establishments and, if enough customers vote with their dollars, they'll eventually make the switchover on their own. I never thought I'd be saying this but let the market decide.

Yet another reason why I love this town. It makes me feel like a rabid conservative on occasion.