On the editorial page of the Independent Review a couple of weeks ago, did you catch the striking difference in the approach of two Republican legislators to a state smoking ban?

State Sen. Steve Dille, in his typical sensible manner, saw the matter as a simple health issue without political implications.
State Rep. Steve Sviggum, meanwhile, sought to politicize the issue in a most partisan way.

Dille, I think, reestablished himself as a legislator who strives to decide issues on their merits apart from political leanings.
Meanwhile, Rep. Sviggum, in my view, reestablished himself as something of a “pol” in the most derogatory sense of the term.

It seems that legislators like Sviggum, along with Tom Emmer and Marty Seiffert on the Republican side, and Larry Pogemiller and the now defeated Dean Johnson on the DFL side — all strongly partisan people — detract from, rather than enhance, good government.

Yes, I know that in this space in the past I noted that I was an admirer of ex-Sen. Johnson for taking strong stands without regard to their political impact. However, I must admit that in the years when Johnson and Sviggum were locking legislative horns the state was the loser and the Legislature was diminished in stature.

I have long admired Steve Dille’s work as a legislator, except for the times when he forgets the truth in the adage that you can’t legislate morality.

I have no idea how long Steve will continue in political office.
My choice for his successor when he does choose to end his political career? Dr. David Detert.

I think he would bring the same good sense to legislative issues that Dille has provided and the same generally non-partisan approach.

Never happen, you say, given the reality of politics?
Dr. Dave might have to change his political party again but remember what they say — “politics makes for strange bedfellows.”

___
We made a brief pre-snowstorm trip to Duluth last week and predictably I found my way into the Old Chicago Bar and Grill one late afternoon.

Now, the Old Chicago in Duluth is sort of a classic — a homey comfortable bistro specializing in burgers and pizza and featuring more than 30 beers on tap.

As I walked in I sensed that familiar tobacco odor so much a part of a visit to a bar here — an odor which I don’t particularly dislike.

I took a booth and while wrestling with an oversized burger was halfway through my mug of Lake Superior Ale when it hit me — there was no tobacco odor here. The Old Chicago, like all bars in Duluth, was tobacco free.

What I experienced, I guess, was something related to a conditioned response, a concept developed back in the early years of the last century by a Russian, Ivan Pavlov, in working with dogs.

His work brought out how perceived conditions controlled response. Since I was conditioned to smell smoke when I entered a bar I thought I sensed odor even if it wasn’t there.

I had a chance to visit with Zach Smith, a Litchfield High School graduate, who has worked at the Old Chicago a number of years and he had an interesting point relative to the total smoking ban in Duluth.

When the ban started, he noted, there was a sharp business drop off at the Old Chicago as hard-line smokers deserted the place in droves.

However, the Old Chicago developed a new clientele — people who in the past simply avoided places with smoky air.

Then as the every day smokers began to realize the smoking ban was for real they began to drift back, too, with the bottom line being in Zach’s view, that the ban has been good for business overall.

On a personal note, he added that the smoking ban has made him and other Old Chicago employees feel much more comfortable with their jobs.

Stan Roeser is former editor and former co-owner of the Independent Review.