Decisions, decisions
City council elections are coming up on May 7th so it's time for me to locate some information on the candidates and make a decision on which one is going to get my vote. The hot topic right now is the proposed smoking ban. I'm all in favor of segregated and separately ventilated sections for restaurants and bars as well as supporting those live music venues that choose to be non-smoking, but I will never vote on a total smoking ban until the day they also pass a perfume ban. I'd much rather sit next to the man smoking his stinky cigar than to sit next to the woman that just doused herself with a half-bottle of Eau de Sweet Smelling Flowers. The stinky cigar is a bit unpleasant but it doesn't give me the instant migraine and rash around my nose and mouth that I get when I sit next to someone doused in perfume. And yes, I know that exposure to Eau de Sweet Smelling Flowers doesn't appear to have the long-lasting health effects that come from second hand smoke, but this town has a pretty strict non-smoking policy now so people have plenty of choices when it comes to avoiding cigar and cigarette smoke. I really don't see the need for a total ban. That said, I won't be making my decision based on a candidate's position on the smoking ban. I'm much more interested in transportation issues and the age old fight between developers and neighborhood associations and I suppose my biggest concern is the high cost of living in this town. Now I have no expectations that the Austin City Council will ever adequately address these issues no matter who is elected, but I do think we could go from bad to worse so I've pledged to read up on the candidates and try to cast a vote based on my own informed decision instead of just letting the Austin Chronicle persuade me to vote for their picks. As much as I admire and respect the Chron, we don't always see eye to eye on things.