City Council Should Dine In

The Spokane City Council said yes. The Board of County Commissioners said no - at least until it’s had a couple of more weeks to think about it and gather more testimony.

So, inside the Spokane city limits at least, restaurants soon will have to post green, yellow or red “traffic light” signs on their doors signifying that smoking is prohibited, allowed in some places or allowed everywhere.

This comes on a recommendation from a Spokane County Health District committee.

Two City Council members, Roberta Greene and Jeff Colliton, opposed the idea, believing non-smoking restaurant patrons who inadvertently stumble into a restaurant where smoking is permitted have the option of asking about its smoking rules - and leaving if they wish.

Is there something that Greene and Colliton are missing, or is this an instance of government trying to think too hard for the people?

Maybe voters should decide Mangan pension upgrade

And while we’re nosing around City Hall, Mayor Jack Geraghty and Councilman Orville Barnes say it was wrong for Assistant City Attorney Rocco Treppiedi to write a letter supporting Police Chief Terry Mangan’s bid to shift into a more generous public pension plan.

Other city officials say Treppiedi was just acting on orders from former City Manager Roger Crum who since has departed the city, taking more than $17,000 in cashed-out sick leave with him.

As for Mangan’s attempt to get into a pension plan the Legislature capped off 20 years ago because it was costing taxpayers too much money, “Bagpipes” readers were, well, not sympathetic.

For instance, Sherrie Bryant of Spokane said: “Although ‘city logic’ may be an oxymoron, about the chief’s pension plan, maybe we could put it to a vote of the taxpayers in November. The city could post signs on several arterials with a picture of the chief and say, ‘This individual scheduled for improvement under the chief bond issue, for an unspecified amount of funds. - Your city government.’ Then we could see if 60 percent of the taxpayers want Treppiedi to write a letter to the state in favor of the chief and if Bill Pupo, interim city manager, should support it.”

And Wanda O’Neil of Greenacres added: “The battle cry for years and years has been: ‘Screw the taxpayer, get yours and no starch in the spine,’ in that order.”

, DataTimes MEMO: “Bagpipes” appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. To respond, call Cityline at 458-8800, category 9881, from a Touch-Tone phone or send a fax to 459-5098 or e-mail to dougf@spokesman.com. You also can leave Doug Floyd a message at 459-5577, extension 5466.