Once again, politics is coming before the health of Philadelphia citizens. After City Council finally came together - despite years of infighting - to ban smoking in restaurants, Mayor John Street is threatening to once again ruin everything.
The mayor must veto or sign the bill by 10 a.m. today, when Council meets. If he had the city's best interest at heart, he would have signed the bill as soon as it landed on his desk. Yet here we are again, hoping politicians can put politics aside (rare - especially in this city).
The bill was sponsored by Street's political nemesis: former Councilman turned mayoral candidate Michael Nutter, and Street seems anything but eager to hand him a political victory.
But this issue is too important to fall victim to politics.
For six years now, smoking ban proponents have pushed and pushed. Opponents first argued the ban would push business across the Delaware (now debunked, as New Jersey passed its own ban to no ill effect). Street now claims that the bill's newest fatal flaw is not including sidewalk cafes in its scope.
But with Philadelphia now ranked the fattest city in America, a ban on smoking in restaurants - even if it doesn't include cafes - offers an easy way for Mayor Street to improve the lives and health of his citizens.
For the last time, mayor, please do your job and sign this ban.
