When it opened in 2007, the Liberty Tavern became an instant hit among libertarians in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, of which there are quite a few, given the proximity of the Institute for Humane Studies, Mercatus Center, Institute for Justice, and Atlas Foundation. Now, however, the Liberty Tavern has sadly failed its inspiring name. Barista/bartender/blogger and former Cato colleague Jacob Grier explains:
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is predictably pushing once again for a comprehensive statewide smoking ban. Not so predictably, he’s teamed up with the owners of Clarendon’s Liberty Tavern to launch his campaign:
This year, he believes momentum is on his side. At a news conference Tuesday at a Clarendon tavern, Kaine said the public is increasingly supportive of such bans…
Stephen Fedorchak, owner of The Liberty Tavern, the restaurant where Kaine held his news conference, said he has been in the business long enough to know smoking was once entrenched in bars and restaurants. But those days have passed, he said.
He said he does not regret the decision to ban smoking in his restaurant and said these days “smokers are somewhat used to going out in a … fresh-air environment” and no longer assume they will be allowed to light up.
Fedorchak is happy to be running a smoke-free restaurant. So why does he want the state to force all the bars and restaurants in Virginia to follow the same policy? Why not allow owners and customers a choice? Maybe some people like to smoke at a bar or a restaurant. I don’t, and I prefer to patronize smoke-free establishments. But I don’t feel the need to force my preferences on everyone else by law.
Let’s hope The Liberty Tavern will renounce its support for nanny-state authoritarianism and once again be worthy of its Revolutionary name.
