By Leigh Jones
The Daily News

Published November 13, 2009

GALVESTON — Island voters may get a chance to decide during the May election where smoking should be allowed.

Dissatisfied with the smoking ordinance they adopted earlier this year, city council members voted unanimously to consider four options for changing it.

The ordinance, which takes effect Jan. 1, bans smoking in restaurants, bars, outdoor seating areas, tobacco stores and private clubs.

During their Dec. 3 meeting, council members will talk about amending it to allow smoking in tobacco stores and bars. They also will consider either rescinding it permanently or rescinding it and putting it on the May ballot.

Complaints from business owners, including the bar and restaurant owners who initially supported the ban, prompted the council to reconsider the changes.

The ordinance as adopted is one of the strictest in the state. But as it was proposed, the ordinance was more consistent with regulations in other cities, allowing smoking in outdoor seating areas and tobacco stores.

The Galveston Restaurant Association supported the proposed ordinance but said the adopted regulations were too strict. Most restaurant owners wanted to allow smoking in outdoor seating areas.

Councilman Tarris Woods, who insisted the ban extend to tobacco stores when the ordinance was adopted, said on Thursday he had changed his mind after talking to downtown business owners.

“That’s the reason why I’m trying to redeem that particular position I took regarding the tobacco shop,” he said.

Mayor pro tem Danny Weber, who opposed the ban when the council adopted it, suggested it should be rescinded.

“Businesses don’t like what we did, and those are the folks we should be listening to,” he said. “Everybody makes mistakes. It looks like we made a mistake with the ordinance we adopted.”

If the council couldn’t agree to abandon the ordinance, it should consider allowing smoking in bars, Weber said.

Councilwoman Linda Colbert, who did not attend the meeting during which the council adopted the ordinance, suggested smoking in bars would be fine, until she learned it is not illegal to take a child into a bar in Texas.

“That makes it difficult,” she said.

Both council members Elizabeth Beeton and Karen Mahoney said they did not want to change the ordinance.

“I think it could be workable,” Beeton said. “I know it would take some getting used to, but it’s fair. There’s a lot to commend in this ordinance.”

Mahoney suggested the council should let the voters decide.

After discussing changes on Dec. 3, the council will make its final decision Dec. 10.

as an ex smoker , I say AMEN

as an American ,I say AMEN

Damnit! YOU'RE not "Your." You're is a contraction of you are. Your is the possessive of you, as in your @ss. I wish prople would learn the difference between (among)

your-you're

there-their-they're

where-wear

its-it's

way-weigh

Every time someone lights up a cigarette or cigar,he/she is telling the world, "I'm a dumb@ss. I pay big bucks so I can get emphysema and cancer, without the risk of getting high. I like having bad breath, nicotine stained teeth and fingers. I like having burn holes in my clothes. I love the excitement of dropping a burning cigarette in my crotch while driving 80MPH on the freeway. I love supporting the tobacco industry and its ad agencies who work to spread the addiction to our kids. I like to tell my children to do what I say, not what I do. I'm proud of being a bad role model for kids."

Lurker:

Damnit! YOU'RE not "Your." You're is a contraction of you are. Your is the possessive of you, as in your @ss. I wish prople would learn the difference between (among)

your-you're

there-their-they're

where-wear

its-it's

way-weigh

glass houses

Lurker:

Every time someone lights up a cigarette or cigar,he/she is telling the world, "I'm a dumb@ss. I pay big bucks so I can get emphysema and cancer, without the risk of getting high. I like having bad breath, nicotine stained teeth and fingers. I like having burn holes in my clothes. I love the excitement of dropping a burning cigarette in my crotch while driving 80MPH on the freeway. I love supporting the tobacco industry and its ad agencies who work to spread the addiction to our kids. I like to tell my children to do what I say, not what I do. I'm proud of being a bad role model for kids."

doesn't your wife smoke??

why do you ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SUCH A CRANKY OLD MAN???

Let's hope they get it right this time! Exempt the tobacco stores, and allow smoking in designated outdoor areas. I have been looking forward to January 1st!

Dixie:

why do you ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SUCH A CRANKY OLD MAN???

As I've grown older, I've become less tolerant of ignorance and stupidity. Basically, my respect for the majority of the human race has hit rock bottom. I used to believe that most people in the world were basically good. Now, I feel certain that the vast majority are greedy, fearful and stupid.

Sooner or later, this thread is gonna piss me off, but I'm gonna think positive.   Conservative grammartician that I am.   Whatever the frig a grammartician is.  

Do we really have to have a shootin' war about contractions?

BTW, I've always wondered what "ain't" is a contraction of.  And why the hell CAN'T I end that sentence with "of"?  Who made up that stupid rule anyway?  A conservative?

I do believe that "Grammarian" is the proper term.

Lurker:

I do believe that "Grammarian" is the proper term.

Ah. That explains why I didn't know what the frig a grammartician is.  was.  wasn't.

So I guess I really amn't one.

Lurker:

Dixie:

why do you ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SUCH A CRANKY OLD MAN???

As I've grown older, I've become less tolerant of ignorance and stupidity. Basically, my respect for the majority of the human race has hit rock bottom. I used to believe that most people in the world were basically good. Now, I feel certain that the vast majority are greedy, fearful and stupid.

why do you think  your , you're negative BS is wanted... I mean REALLLY , nobody cares what pisses you off . We can all go off on things that may get under our skin. this is ... was a place where we could all sit and chit chat.... ever wonder why nobody posts pics anymore ? HMM??? because they are sick of your you're useless NEGATIVE 2 cents. I remember a long time ago , you got off of the forum because you said it was too negative.... time to put yourself in time-out ya old ole crank

Gee, this is going really well. 

Please remind me to never revive the subject of smoking! 

Dixie:

why do you think  your , you're negative BS is wanted... I mean REALLLY , nobody cares what pisses you off . We can all go off on things that may get under our skin. this is ... was a place where we could all sit and chit chat.... ever wonder why nobody posts pics anymore ? HMM??? because they are sick of your you're useless NEGATIVE 2 cents. I remember a long time ago , you got off of the forum because you said it was too negative.... time to put yourself in time-out ya old ole crank

Bye.

I am speechless!!!! missed this soapbox entirely... I have lost my touch!

Johnna R:

I am speechless!!!! missed this soapbox entirely... I have lost my touch!

you didn't miss much

Johnna R:

I am speechless!!!! missed this soapbox entirely...

Well, it did bring back memories of another time, many many moons ago, in a Galaxy far, far away. 

You gotta stay alert, JR. 

And be sure to duck when the shootin' starts. 

Didn't somebody just mention what a drag the world would be without Roz? Yeah, I think somebody did.  Somewhere.

Who dat?

old dawg:

Johnna R:

I am speechless!!!! missed this soapbox entirely...

Well, it did bring back memories of another time, many many moons ago, in a Galaxy far, far away. 

You gotta stay alert, JR. 

And be sure to duck when the shootin' starts. 

Didn't somebody just mention what a drag the world would be without Roz? Yeah, I think somebody did.  Somewhere.

Who dat?

 

I have definitely lost my groove on soapboxes!!!  and, yes, our world would be very dull without miss roz!!!  love ya roz!!!

Call it my somewhat youthful ignorance (I'll be 28 at the end of this month), but I am unaware of the fact that being intolerant requires someone to be hateful and negative.  You could have been educational and still expressed that it is a pet peeve of yours without being nasty.  You claim that you have lost faith in humankind and that is why you are so hateful, and yet your are perpetuating that same sentiment to the next generation and all over some grammar.  I'm a firm believer that you get what you put into this world.

amen!!

Holy shi@!!!!!

Yeah, I'm with Charlene! Erika, Excellent points

Well, everybody expressed themselves really well, I think.

Especially Time Bandit. 

old dawg:

Well, everybody expressed themselves really well, I think.

Especially Time Bandit. 

 BAHAHAHA!!! Very true, Dawg...Very true

Wow, I feel like I need a cigarette after reading this thread, and I don't even smoke.

shawi:

Wow, I feel like I need a cigarette after reading this thread, and I don't even smoke.

Oh, yeah, this WAS about smoking, wasn't it?

If you choose to smoke that is your problem. If you choose to smoke in public it is everyone’s problem. Just tweak the ordinance!

69 Chevy:

If you choose to smoke that is your problem. If you choose to smoke in public it is everyone’s problem. Just tweak the ordinance!

Yeah, you're right, Chevy.  I was a lifelong heavy smoker when I quit, coming up on thirty years ago this next New Years Eve, so I can still empathize with the folks who are still saddled with the habit, but even though I hate to come off as the worst of all do-gooders, a reformed addict, I still have to say that I really think the danged things should be completely outlawed. 

I know that it may never happen, because of the sheer number of pitiful addicts still among us, and the huge power of the tobacco industry pitted against us, but, we should never stop working to rid ourselves of the beast.  Every little step toward that end should be applauded and supported by everybody.

I agree with you, Old Dawg. From my personal experience, I see nothing positive about smoking. I have never smoked, but my husband was a chain smoker & died when he was 42 years old from lung cancer, leaving me alone to raise/rear two small boys. Even though they promised their dad they would never smoke, they did. One was forced to quit cold turkey when he had a heart attack at age 28 & the other quit when he realized he wanted to live to see his kids grow up. I know from watching them how hard it is to stop, but if you want to badly enough, you can. You are proof of that. And from a non-smoker's point of view, I can't stand to be around smoke anymore. I can't breathe, my hair & clothes smell like smoke, I get choked & I know the second-hand smoke is damaging my health. I avoid it at all costs.

"we should never stop working to rid ourselves of the beast. "

We seem to be headed in the right direction. It is a dying habit!