Crushed butt of New Albany smoking ban in LEO's Loserville 2008.

There's a marvelous year-end wrap in today's edition of LEO, most of which is devoted to news and personalities in Louisville and Kentucky.

Loserville 2008

Yes, but New Albany scored a point, too. Gee, wonder who wrote this one?

New Albany smoking ban

Even before the global financial meltdown, New Albany was looking forward to a year of tough choices, ranging from rental inspections to sewage rates, and from street repairs to downtown revitalization. Predictably, the city council prepared for the very worst by ignoring it, instead squandering time by enacting an unenforceable smoking ordinance that was immediately vetoed by Mayor Douglas England. New Albany’s summertime smoking debate careened off the scientific
rails, divided the city, fulfilled its reputation as an open air museum of political dysfunction, and in the end, all of the city’s important issues remain, orphaned, unaddressed, and ignored … just like always.

Penance: Bum a smoke?