Editorial
Council punted on smoking ban measure

If you run into City Council members Romy Cachola, Rene Mansho, Andy Mirikitani, John DeSoto and Jon Yoshimura in a restaurant, you might want to blow a little smoke their way.

After all, that's what they did Wednesday when they snuffed out a proposed ban on smoking in O'ahu restaurants and angered anti-smoking advocates, who represent a formidable portion of our Aloha State.

Instead of showing leadership, they caved in to lobbyists' arguments that tourists would shun a smoke-free Honolulu, leaving hundreds of restaurant tables empty.

As yet, there's no hard evidence of what effect a smoking ban would have on O'ahu's tourism industry. What we do know is that a majority of Hawai'i residents are nonsmokers. And they won't be wheezing if the issue comes up on the 2002 ballot.

Yoshimura, whose campaign war chest last year netted about $1,200 from tobacco companies, said, "I always thought this issue was one best put to the public."

Now he'll get his wish.

After Wednesday's 5-4 vote against the proposed ban, anti-smoking advocates pledged to take the issue to the voters. They need 43,993 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot, which shouldn't be too hard.

As for Mirikitani, who is set to be sentenced Dec. 4 after being convicted of federal theft, fraud and bribery charges, his vote against Ho-nolulu's restaurant smoking ban is likely to be his swan song.

Ironically, it was Mirikitani who proposed a restaurant smoking ban in 1995. The bill passed but was vetoed by Mayor Jeremy Harris on grounds that such a regulation is not the business of government.

Harris, who is running for governor, now says he would have supported a compromise bill this time around. But why didn't he say that before Wednesday's vote?

Let's hope the new city leadership that emerges from next year's election brings Honolulu in line with other world-class cities that have outlawed smoking in restaurants.