Who put the Toke in Stoke?

It seems a move to Stoke on Trent might be in order, at least temporarily:

Stoke-on-Trent in western England has been dubbed "Smoke-on-Trent" as cigarette addicts can spark up knowing that bureaucrats cannot impose the 50-pound (100-dollar, 75-euro) on-the-spot fine.

The local authority failed to get enforcement powers in time for July 1, when England joined the rest of the United Kingdom in banning smoking in enclosed public spaces.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council, ranked among the worst local authorities in England and Wales by the Audit Commission, cannot enforce the ban until councillors formally approve it at an August 2 meeting.

There's a lot to be said for incompetent government. It's not noticably more expensive than effective government, but gets less done.