STEVE SMITH -- What’s Up?

The news was shocking. Listening to the radio Thursday, I heard a

report that the City Council in West Hollywood is considering further

restrictions on smoking.

Fair enough, I thought. That’s a town where almost anything goes and

in this case, they’d like smoking to go.

But then it got weird. Not only were council members unhappy with the

current smoking restrictions, they were also concerned about the way

disputes were being handled. So in a moment of what must have been severe

brain lock, they decided to explore mediation as a way to handle smoking

disputes.

It is absurd to think that two people cannot work out something as

easy as who should be smoking where, according to the current laws.

Again, however, this is West Hollywood and regular rules do not apply.

But hold on to your hats, folks, because the last segment of this news

story has the kicker. According to this report, the city of West

Hollywood, only about 45 miles north of your home, is considering

restrictions on citizens smoking in their own homes.

I almost fell off my chair. Forget for the moment the ridiculous

attempts the city may make trying to enforce this absurd law. Think

instead about the potential abuse of power of this law.

I don’t smoke and I believe it is a disgusting and suicidal habit, but

I will defend your right to smoke in your own home if you so choose.

Now move down the road that 45 miles to Costa Mesa and turn back the

clock to election day. On Nov. 7, Costa Mesa voters made the wise choice

to defeat Measure O, which would have allowed for the increase of the

local transient occupancy tax from 6% to 8%.

The tax is paid by folks who stay in the hotels within the city

limits. If Measure O had passed, the additional revenue would have gone

toward the acquisition and development of public parks, recreational

facilities and open space.

At a Nov. 1 candidates forum and in the sample ballot issued to Costa

Mesa residents, the measure was touted by incumbent and newly reelected

Councilwoman Libby Cowan as a painless way to fund park development.

Although many agree with the rationale for this tax, it was Cowan who

explained it on Nov. 1: “Costa Mesa has the lowest TOT [transient

occupancy tax] in the county and even with passage of this measure, we’ll

still have the lowest TOT in the county.”

So, what’s a tax-fighter and park-lover to do? The idea that someone

could turn down money for parks by rejecting a tax that would not

directly affect him put me in a tough spot. But I voted against “O” for

the same reason that I got concerned over the home smoking restrictions.

Both are potential abuses of power.

Trying to sell a tax measure because we need new parks is clever. No

one would dare say that we have enough parks. But to justify it by

claiming that the city’s hotel tax can be raised because it’s too low is

quite another.

It occurred to me that our low transient occupancy tax just happened

to be the target this time around. Next time, it may be a tax that does

not affect visitors, but costs locals their hard-earned money, justified

because it is the county’s lowest.

What the citizens choose to do in West Hollywood is their own

business. All their activity does for this columnist and former West

Hollywood resident is provide food for thought.

And don’t think for a moment that I’m slamming Cowan; she had a lot of

company in her support of this tax. Besides, I knew of her endorsement of

the tax and I voted for her anyway.

Later that night, Cowan provided the best answer to the question of

how to improve the Costa Mesa City Council’s communication with

residents. Cowan correctly stated that the council is already doing a lot

and people have to do more to assume some responsibility for what goes on

in their city.

I agree. The citizens in Newport Beach must agree, too -- that’s why

they removed important development decisions from the hands of those in

power.

Don’t think for a moment that things can’t get like West Hollywood

right here in your own backyard. It almost happened in both Newport Beach

and Costa Mesa on Nov. 7.

I’m not a government conspiracy theorist and I don’t believe that

black helicopters are monitoring my house. But I do believe, as Cowan

pointed out, that citizens must be more vigilant.

If we’re not, the next tax may not be on visitors.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

can leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.