Mayor White comes out for smoking ban
Ron Nissimov reports that Mayor White has endorsed a more moderate version of the smoking ban that has been supported by council member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs:
Houston restaurants may soon be smoke-free.
Mayor Bill White announced Wednesday that he is drafting an ordinance that would ban smoking in restaurants, but not in bars.
"I have been listening to people who want a ban everywhere and the people who don't want to lose their market," White said. "I'm trying to find the middle ground."
White said his proposal would be phased in over two years to try to minimize any negative impact on restaurants.
Under Houston's current ordinance, restaurants and other public buildings are allowed to have smoking areas if they are properly ventilated. Smoking is banned within 25 feet of entrances to public buildings.
White said that under his proposal, any restaurants with bars in their establishments would be allowed to maintain smoking areas in the bars, as long as there is "real separation" from the dining areas.
Sekula-Gibbs remains hopeful this is only a first step towards her more comprehensive ban:
"I feel like it's a step in the right direction," Sekula-Gibbs said.
She pointed out that many cities that have barred smoking in public places started off with partial bans such as White's proposal.
"I think most Houstonians would support a full ban, but the mayor won't do it right now," Sekula-Gibbs said.
Sekula-Gibbs concludes with her best impression of Sheila "I can always be found when a camera is nearby" Jackson Lee:
She added that until Wednesday's proposal, she had not gotten much support from White in her efforts. Sekula-Gibbs said she believes White may have proposed the ordinance because she has pushed the issue by having two meetings in the last month with various constituency groups and community leaders.
As someone who has portrayed herself as a conservative, the doctor-councilwoman should, perhaps, just back away and let the mayor (a former Democratic state party chair) take credit for proposals that impose new burdens on business owners and seem an odd priority given Houston's many ongoing problems (ranging from HPD manpower shortages to municipal pension plans that still have liabilities that will require issuance of bonds to the HPD crime lab).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/08/04 12:13 PM | Print |
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