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Democracy In Peril

By Steve Sebelius

HEROES OF THE REVOLUTION: The list of legislative do-righters grew a little last Wednesday, as Assemblymen Bernie Anderson, R-Reno, John Carpenter, R-Elko, and Harry Mortensen, D-Las Vegas, all had a role in killing that awful anti-smoking proposal to ban lighting up in restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores. (The bill that did emerge would allow local school districts to ban smoking on campus, however.)

Helen Foley, advocating on behalf of the Clark County Health District, lamented the fact that lawmakers ignored the will of the voters, as expressed on November's ballot. (Voters approved of banning smoking in the aforementioned places and of letting local governments pass even stricter anti-smoking laws.) But sometimes, ignoring the will of the voters rises to a constitutional imperative, and this is one of those times. Recognizing and acting in those times requires courage, since giving in would clearly please the masses. That's why Anderson, Carpenter and Mortensen deserve credit.

As for Foley, she promises to be back in two years "because people's lives are at stake." It's even worse than that: People's freedom is at stake, too. Let's hope our heroes maintain their eternal vigilance in 2005. Meanwhile, we at Democracy in Peril plan to celebrate the anti-anti-smoking victory with a fine cigar.

RACING TOWARD GOMORRAH: We know you readers were as relieved as we were about news that North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley was not injured when the car he was driving--at 165 mph--hit the "soft wall" at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (Soft walls at the speedway are made of blocks of Styrofoam.) The governor apparently was practicing for his stint as a pace car driver for an upcoming Winston Cup race when the accident occurred.

When are these public officials going to learn that the office is more important than the man, and that they have a public obligation to refrain from dangerous activities, at least until they're out of office? Why, the next thing you know, we'll have politicians flying Navy jets doing carrier landings.

Meanwhile, Republican opponents of Gov. Kenny Guinn's gross receipts tax today invited the governor to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to practice driving the local pace car, which is a Corvair.

QUOTABLE: "What are you, anti-American or complete idiots?" Homeowner Joni Briggs, in a letter to the Sterling at Silver Springs homeowners association, after the group asked her to remove a "God Bless America" sign she's taped to her garage door for the duration of the Iraq war. Well, Joni, we think that pretty much covers it.

Steve Sebelius writes a daily e-mail newsletter, the E-Briefing, from which "Democracy in Peril" is excerpted. Reach him at 383-0283 or by e-mail at ssebelius@reviewjournal.com. To subscribe to the E-Briefing at a Mercury reader special price of $20 per year, go to www.lasvegasmercury.com/ebriefing.