MD80 FLT CREW HAS NOSE TAXI LIGHTS INOP. FLT CREW REQUESTS LIGHTS TO BE REPAIRED PRIOR TO ACCEPTING THE ACFT FOR FLT.

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RETURNING TO THE GATE FOR DEICING/INSPECTION DUE TO ICE PELLETS. WHILE TAXIING BACK TO THE GATE; BOTH NOSE LNDG LIGHTS WENT INOP. MAINT CAME OUT AND AS I HANDED THE LOGBOOK TO THE MECH; I TOLD HIM THAT I KNOW THAT THE MEL SAYS YOU CAN PLACARD BOTH NOSE LIGHTS INOP (BOTH WING LIGHTS WERE WORKING BUT WORTHLESS FOR TAXIING!) AND HAVING JUST TAXIED WITHOUT ANY NOSE LIGHTS I WANTED AT LEAST 1 NOSE LIGHT TO WORK. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD CALL MAINT CTL AND SEE WHAT THEY SAID. I TOLD HIM AGAIN; NO NOSE LIGHT WORKING AND I WILL NOT TAKE THE ACFT. MECH COMES BACK AND SAYS MAINT CTL SAYS TO PLACARD THE NOSE LIGHTS. I CALL DISPATCH AND ADVISE THE DISPATCHER THAT I HAVE NO NOSE LIGHTS AND WILL NOT OPERATE THE ACFT WITH BOTH NOSE LIGHTS INOP. THE DISPATCHER SAYS OK AND ASKS ME TO HAVE MAINT CALL HER. THIS TAKES ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE MAINT DECIDES TO CHANGE THE NOSE LIGHTS. WHY DO WE ALLOW THE MEL TO OPERATE THE ACFT AT NIGHT WITHOUT ANY NOSE LIGHTS? THE WINGTIP LIGHTS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE FOR TAXIING AT NIGHT. THE WINGTIP LIGHTS HANG OUT OVER THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. YOU CANNOT SEE THE TXWY CTRLINE. ALLOWING AN ACFT TO TAXI AROUND A COMPLEX ARPT WITHOUT ANY NOSE LIGHTS AT NIGHT WITH RAIN AND SNOW IS NOT A SMART WAY TO OPERATE OUR ACFT.