Fasano acts after bar ejects

State Sen. Mike Fasano, who said he has never had an alcoholic drink, has often been a designated driver for friends. So he can relate to Gary Maujean's predicament.

In June, Maujean said, he was ejected from Carlie's Lounge in Pinellas Park for not buying alcohol. Maujean, who builds doors for a living, was the designated driver for his wife and their friends.

Now Fasano, R-New Port Richey, has filed a bill that would prevent bar owners from throwing out patrons who don't buy alcohol. The new bill would slip mistreatment of designated drivers in with discrimination based on race, sex and creed and could affect an establishment's license.

"I was outraged," said Fasano, who once crusaded for a coral-colored license plate for repeat drunken drivers. "Here you have an individual who is trying to be responsible, and he's being thrown out of the bar because he wanted a Coke rather than a rum and Coke.

Full story here.

Comments

[politicalspectator]

Ejected from a bar for not drinking...that's like hiring a hooker for outercourse.

I would like to introduce a new word to the lexicon of Florida politics. The word is Republicrat and it describes a nominal Republican such as Fasano, or Crist - who uses intrusive government solutions in lieu marekt based solutions. It combines the muddled thinking of a bureaucrat who wants to cross dress as a Republican. Used as follows, "Republicat Mike Fasano and his friends should stay out of bars where they are not welcomed, and instead frequent the gay bar down the street."

Wow.... that's a bit rough don't you think?

Hey, 12:53, I've got an idea. Why don't we go after the darkies and jews next!

12:53pm-

Did you beat your wife this morning as well, or perhaps did she beat you?

No Republican is really happy with the insurance solution they came up with. However, the public blames them, and when you add Iraq to the situation it will just cost us more and more elected offices.

Sometimes a little sacrifice is needed.

Why doesn't the stupid bar owner charge the same for a Coke as for a Jack and Coke.

Seems to me the bar would make more money that way and everybody is happy.

If the price of Coke is too high, people who do not drink alcohol will not go to that bar.

The free market is always the best medicine.

If it's a "Free" Market, why charge anything at all for the Coke?

Is he filing the pink license tag bill again?

Coral

the house version had it pink- or maybe it was changed from pink to coral- because the pink is the color of breast cancer awareness. I can't remember

As a designated driver for years....I have never been refused a diet coke or better yet a glass of water instead of a cocktail. Most bars appreciate designated drivers and give the soft drink out comp. I think there is more to the story than was reported. And as usual, Fasano jumps on what he thinks is the "Band Wagon to Congress" What a joke, the guy is a loser!!!!!!!

Okay, is he filing the coral license plate tag again? Just wondering. Gosh you guys are a bit snippy on the details today.

Fasano doesn't order cokes, only vanilla milk shakes. Seriously, i'm not trying to convey anything else, but the guy likes milkshakes.

I find it very cute.

Since the Times decided not to publish my comments on their blog I 'll repeat them here. The high school drop put remark about Fasano was a cheap shot. How about a description of this reporter as a petty two bit reporter compensating for feelings of inadequacy and reflecting on the fact of his meaningless existance. That is also an "accurate" description.

1:42 and 1:58 - He's a bar owner - not very high on anyone's list IQ. He is an idiot. a group of about 30 people need to show up there with about 6 designated drivers and ask this jerk if he will serve them or should the other 24 drinkers take their business elsewhere? See what this bozo says to that.

This is the silliest nonsense I have read in a long time. What a waste of a lawmaker's time.

Fasano should get a job.

[barfly]

The bar owner is a total jerk. The kneejerk legislation filed by a total incompetent addresses a lone incident. Viva la Libertarians!!

11:07

While this particular bar owner may be stupid, I don't think it's fair to equate all bar owners with stupidity...Go see how dumb some of the bar tenders are down on Ocean Drive and Washington Ave as they laugh all the way to the bank.

Your example though of a customer boycott is spot-on. Let the market solve this issue - not the Florida Legislature.

[Robert]

Will there be a coral tag for Constantine?

What a waste of actual floor time. How dare that nitwit impose more government interference on local business owners.

NEWSFLASH: He's not thrown out because he's not drinking; he's thrown out because he scares the other patrons.

Yeah. Let the market solve everything.