I enjoy the public fireworks displays provided by cities like Pismo Beach. Why do we need the “legal” fireworks sold at the booths lining Grand Avenue in Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande? Each year those legal fireworks injure hundreds of people, damage property, ignite wild fires, and cause pollution. The resulting visits to emergency rooms, cleanup, pollution, and the cost of additional fire and police personnel must be greater than the fees and taxes the cities receive.
Grover Beach receives less than $3,000 from permits plus a small percentage of the sales taxes. Does this cover the real costs of such fireworks? Why should we support an activity that is costly to the taxpayers and causes injuries to people, pets, and the environment?
To the organizations that have booths, such as the Grover Beach Chamber of Commence, do you want your name associated with an activity that causes injury to people, pets, and the environment?
I ask that the all cities ban the use and sale of such fireworks because it’s the right thing to do. We can have a safe, sane, and patriotic Fourth of July without them.
This article appears in Jul 9-16, 2009.