Friday, Oct. 23 2009 @ 4:18PM
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| Today's meeting was a lesson in how sausage -- and cigarettes -- are made. |
As
mentioned on this here blog earlier today, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen approved by a 20-7 vote a
bill that would prohibit smoking in most bars and restaurants should voters in St. Louis County also approve a smoking ban on November 3.
The nearly-four-hour debate inside the board chambers was one of the longest in memory with aldermen attempting to attach no less than five separate amendments to the bill.
Doing their best to hold up passage of the bill was a block of south city aldermen --
Ken Ortmann (Ward 9),
Stephen Gregali (Ward 14) and
Stephen Conway (Ward 8) -- who did everything but
read out of the telephone book in their attempt to delay a vote.
In the end, though, the bill passed with the addition of one amendment designed to aide small taverns defined as those establishments whose customer space (all areas besides kitchens, bathrooms and storage rooms) measures less than 2,000 square feet. Taverns under that size would have five years to adhere to the ban once it goes into effect.
As it stands now, the city ordinance would become law on January 1, 2011, but only if voters in St. Louis County approve a smoking ban at the ballots on November 3.
The board debate was sparked by much grandstanding and hyperbole, but none more entertaining than a speech by
Freeman Bosley Sr. (Ward 3) who explained to his colleagues how tobacco is processed. According to the alderman, tobacco is left to dry in barns where it attracts all types of vermin including "oppossums, rats, waterbugs and cockroaches."
"Then
they come up and scoop up all that tobacco and grind it up with
the insects and animals in there and then they spray it with
formaldehyde," said Bosley. "When you smoke and you hear something pop and crackle in the
cigarette,
that's rat's eyeballs burning up!"
Other highlights of the morning included: