When a legislator gets into trouble with his constituents, he or she may find a problem that some voters are demanding a new law to solve. Often there are already laws or ordinances in place to control the problem, but the lawmaker may propose a new, flashy solution to dazzle the electorate.

These pieces of legislation are known as hero bills, laws proposed simply to placate the voters, but than no one expects to pass, or be enforced if by some miracle it does pass.

This appears to be the approach of Mayor Greg Nickels' office as it tries to mollify crabby neighbors of restaurants around the city - and in Alki - who complain about noise. A draconian proposal was floated that would make just about any restaurant a nightclub and require an additional permit loaded with what amount to booby-traps.

The definition of a nightclub would be any business that after 10 p.m. has "amplified live entertainment, or recorded music conducted by a disc jockey, sells liquor and has an occupant load of 50 or more people."

The proposal, now under fire from the restaurant industry, outlines a series of operating rules, such as requiring business owners to patrol within 100 feet of their establishment starting at least 30 minutes before and after closing time. Staff must also prevent people from entering the club with weapons or illegal drugs.

A license could also be taken away if sound coming from a nightclub or an adjacent area is heard from "inside a residence or business for a continuous period of 20 seconds or longer."

Such a regulation could turn a solo singer who gets applause into a chanteuse that will turn a quiet West Seattle caf/ into a swinging nightclub. We are not Pioneer Square.

West Seattle's Gerry Kingen, owner of Salty's on Alki, is one who is fighting mad.

"If Nickels wants a fight we'll take it out on the street," said Kingen. "I don't like government meddling. Even good intentions can go awry."

He notes there are already city noise ordinances, "just enforce the damned things."

There are many points in the proposed rules that would make an owner blanche at the cost and the potential liability.

As Kingen says, enforce the laws we have and don't impose rules that will run good businesses out of town. Much of the economy of West Seattle depends on the new restaurant and bar arrivals, along with the ones that have been here for years.

We should listen to resident's complaints and deal with those of merit but we cannot saddle restaurants and bars with patrolling the neighborhood for the occasional noise offenders.