Jump to full article: Indianapolis (IN) Star, 2009-10-28
Author: Matthew Tully
Intro: Why did the city's proposed workplace smoking ban fail?
A particularly crushing blow fell a couple of hours before the City-County Council's vote Monday night. That's when Mayor Greg Ballard walked into a closed-door meeting with council Republicans and made clear he didn't want the ordinance to land on his desk.
Until that point, the mayor had been missing in action from the monthslong debate about the smoking ordinance. He hadn't shared his views with his constituents or the media. He hadn't held a news conference or issued a statement on one of the biggest council debates of the year. He hadn't even met with the ordinance's authors.
Instead, he played the role of squishy politician, avoiding a stand on the issue as long as he could. Then, in another political move, he tried to influence the outcome in a private meeting -- a meeting the mayor's office confirmed only after sources leaked the news.
John Cochran, one of Ballard's top advisers, confirmed that the mayor met with fellow Republicans on the 25th floor of the City-County Building just before Monday's council meeting. . . .
Ballard could have been a leader. He could have played a key role in the debate. He could have stood up for the men and women who work in the city's smoke-filled bars.
Instead, he played politics.
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