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Cato Daily Dispatch for August 4, 2003

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N.Y. Smoking Ban Boon for Out-of-State Bars
Republicans Introduce Legislation on Illegal Workers
West African Peacekeepers Arrive in Liberia

N.Y. Smoking Ban Boon for Out-of-State Bars

"Like other New York residents who enjoy a smoke with their drink or meal but can't because of that state's new law, Roxann Lang, 46, and her husband have decided to trade their Jamestown, N.Y., bar for one in northern Pennsylvania," reports The Associated Press.

"Since the ban went into effect, bars and restaurants along the New York state line say they have seen more New Yorkers looking to light up, creating a boon for establishments in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

"New York's statewide smoking ban became law July 24, following a New York City ban. In addition to bars, restaurants and nightclubs, the state ended smoking in off-track betting parlors, bowling alleys and company cars. The ban is among the toughest in the nation."

In "Bloomberg Smokes Out Property Rights," Robert A. Levy, Cato Institute senior fellow in constitutional studies, writes: "According to the mayor, business owners have no cause for concern. 'All of the evidence suggests,' he says, that 'patronage of restaurants and bars . . . goes up, not down' after smoking is banned. That assertion is dubious at best. . . . More important, each business is unique; each deals with a different clientele. Who but the owner is best able to determine the effect of a smoking ban on profits? If he is wrong, he will soon adjust, or go out of business."

Republicans Introduce Legislation on Illegal Workers

"For the first time since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, several Republicans in Congress are pushing for broad legislation that would regulate the flow of foreign workers into the country and potentially legalize millions of illegal employees," according to The New York Times.

"Senator John McCain and Representatives Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, all Republicans from Arizona, introduced bills in July that would grant permanent residency over several years to foreign workers who enter the country legally and to illegal workers already in the United States. Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, also introduced a guest worker bill last month.

"The measures have been criticized by liberal advocacy groups that contend that they do too little for immigrants and by conservative Republicans who say they go too far. White House officials say they have not taken a stance on the bills, and their proponents do not expect them to pass this year."

In "Mexican Workers Come Here to Work: Let Them!" Daniel T. Griswold, associate director of Cato's Center for Trade Policy Studies writes: "Indeed, creating a legal path for the movement of workers across the U.S.-Mexican border would enhance national security. It would begin to drain the swamp of smuggling and document fraud that facilitates illegal immigration, and would encourage millions of currently undocumented workers to make themselves known to authorities by registering with the government, reducing cover for terrorists who manage to enter and overstay their visas."

West African Peacekeepers Arrive in Liberia

"Long-awaited West African peacekeepers swooped into Liberia by helicopter today, as war-weary Liberians danced for joy in ruined streets on hopes of an end to 14 years of bloodshed," Reuters reports.

"In Rome, rebel leader Sekou Conneh, whose forces control Monrovia's vital port, said his fighters would withdraw the minute the Nigerians moved in. He demanded again that President Charles Taylor leave the country as soon as possible."

Two weeks ago, U.S. forces were positioned closer to the West African nation in anticipation of a possible U.S. role in a peacekeeping operation. In "Liberia Folly: No Role for U.S. Troops," Ted Galen Carpenter, Cato's vice president for defense and foreign policy studies, writes: "During the 2000 campaign, George W. Bush emphasized that a vital national interest ought to be at stake before the United States launches a military intervention. Unfortunately, the president is about to violate his own standard by sending American troops to Liberia at the head of an international peacekeeping force."

"There is not even a peripheral, much less a vital, U.S. interest at stake in Liberia. It might be possible to find a country that is less relevant than Liberia to America's security and well-being, but it would take a major effort."

Jonathan Block, editor, jblock@cato.org