Smoking law - go away!/Come back another day/We have so much work to do/Not that we ever knew …

Dick Kaukas’s C-J coverage of yesterday’s veto of the city council's smoking ban ordinance paints by the numbers, but he contributes a handful of largely unintended but fascinating observations from council members: New Albany's smoking-ban ordinance vetoed. Noting Mayor England’s pledge to sign legislation that incorporates his three proposed exemptions, Kaukas writes:

The nine-member council could override the veto if a two-thirds majority -- at least six members -- vote to do so. But no members have indicated a willingness to change their votes, and the council could decide to let the veto stand.

It would appear that unless the council has a sixth vote in favor of the smoking ordinance, and accordingly, votes unanimously on Thursday night to suspend its rules and tack a veto overturn vote onto the evening’s agenda, the ordinance is dead. It might be reintroduced verbatim in the future, or in revised form according to the mayor’s wishes.

The only sure thing to me is that the future of New Albany's smoking ordinance will be plotted according to the internal political calculations of council president Jeff Gahan and his ally of the moment, Dan Coffey, who'll viciously turn on Gahan at the drop of a hat when it become politically expedient for him to do so.

C'mon, people: Did you really think any of this was ever about workplace safety? The petty political machinations are mind-numbing, though not unexpected. Accordingly, reporter Kaukas performs a commendable journalistic service with these framed quotes from three council members:

Councilman Bob Caesar, who sponsored the ordinance, said yesterday that he believes that the council needs to address other issues and that "I will not bring it up again” ...

... After England left, Councilman Dan Coffey, who had voted for the smoking ban, and (Councilwoman Diane) Benedetti each made statements.

Coffey accused England of "playing politics," adding that the mayor never provided his views when council members who were working on the ordinance asked for his input.

Benedetti said she and other council members had hoped the mayor's decision to veto or sign the measure would settle the issue.

"We do not want it back on our plate," she said. "We have too many other things to do."

Simply bretahtaking, isn't it? The obvious question for citizens of New Albany to ask Caesar and Benedetti (who, in fairness, voted against the ordinance):

If you’re cognizant of all these “other things to do", then why has so much of the council's time been wasted on the smoking ordinance?

The obvious question for the perpetually conniving Coffey, for whom intricate political maneuvering comes as naturally as greenhouse gas from a coal-fired power plant:

Are you the pot, or the kettle? Or both?