Local governments banning state legal consumer fireworks, a solution in search of a problem? (Anaheim: sales, neighborhood)

[citizensadvocate]

Fourth of July is coming up and this means bbqs, bonfires, and fireworks, both professional display and personal pyrotechnics.

While many may believe that all fireworks except those operated by professionals are banned in California. This is not the truth. In fact California does permit a list of fireworks that meet stringent safety standards to be sold to the public on fireworks stands who are often operated by nonprofit fundraisers.
The issue now is not the nanny state of California but many of its local meddling municipalities who think that their residents should not handle even these things.

I have a few questions for readers though.

1. Anyone annoyed that despite being state approved, so many local governments in which 70% of the population live under pass ordinances to ban the sale of those fireworks as well thinking that they can resolve issues of use of dangerous fireworks by banning all fireworks rather than focusing on illegal fireworks? Despite the fact that banning legal fireworks does nothing to reduce use of dangerous unregulated illegal fireworks in fact its often the opposite way around? There is also no evidence to link cities that ban legal fireworks stands to whether they are more dangerous for use of fireworks. I.e there are many cities near the coast with no dry grass and high humidity that bans them outright yet those cities near dry hills allow their sale.

2. Local governments use the excuse there is nothing safe and sane about legal fireworks though How is Safe and Sane fireworks more dangerous than the use of matches, lighters, heat guns, torches, welding devices, bbqs, starting a campfire, smoking, etc. Therefore as long as the fire danger is not so high that all these others must be curtailed we shouldn't discriminate the use of consumer fireworks vs all these other devices?

Interestingly I have lived in cities that allows approved consumer fireworks and the ones that ban it it appears that there is not much difference in the number of total fireworks set off by residents and non residents alike. In fact the cities that permit safe and sane fireworks is actually quieter on fourth of July weekends than the cities that ban legal fireworks where much more people use the m80, roman candles, and bottled rockets type fireworks including ones homemade or smuggled from Mexico making the neighborhood sound more like a war zone. It is pretty obvious that permitting safe and sane fireworks actually reduces the use of dangerous unregulated ones, and actually makes things safer and not more dangerous as we know what's best for you city councils want you to believe.

Just a fact our neighbor Arizona has passed laws forbidding cities from banning products that are state legal including safety approved consumer fireworks and grocery bags.
Anyone wish california would do the same thing?
Maybe forbid cities from banning legal pot use as well?

[mauialoha]

The only problem I had was I bought some fireworks but they wanted to charge me ten cents for a bag to put them in!!

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

OP, what's your point or question?

[citizensadvocate]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

OP, what's your point or question?

Maui aloha just curious where did you buy your fireworks?
In Walmart?
Or at a stand in one of those rare sf Bay Area cities that allows fireworks sales but requires all retailers to charge for bags.

My point is to ask whether people on this board think the ban on legal consumer fireworks dumb and whether they hate cities for doing so?

How many would choose a city to live in based on whether they allow consumer fireworks to be sold or used with city limits?

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by mauialoha

The only problem I had was I bought some fireworks but they wanted to charge me ten cents for a bag to put them in!!

Where did you buy fireworks in CA?

[V8 Vega]

The week before the 4th from dark to after midnight the illegals shoot off constantly really loud ones. It's impossible to go to sleep and I have been dead tired for two days now. Plus it really bothers my poor dog.

[cb73]

Originally Posted by V8 Vega

The week before the 4th from dark to after midnight the illegals shoot off constantly really loud ones. It's impossible to go to sleep and I have been dead tired for two days now. Plus it really bothers my poor dog.

We had an impromptu show of illegal fireworks that started at 1 a.m. this morning. It went on for so long that one of my neighbors actually hopped in his car to go find it--they've been fighting about it on the local webpage all day.

Between that and the all-day news stories of various legal fireworks stands being robbed, I'm ready for the whole thing to end.

[mauialoha]

um, no I didn't really buy any fireworks. I'll be happy watching the professsional display done right behind my place.

My post was tongue in cheek because some of these complaints about plastic bags, about smoking or especially this one seem over the top, like OP is trying to parody libertarianism.

In case you are serious OP, is this "nanny state" the same one that required seat belts in cars? Because I remember the opposition by some at that time. And same for helmets for motorcylistst? And don't forget OSHA nanny state created that too in my industry - loads of regulations - and they have reduced deaths in the construction industry saving thousands of lives.

Seems that there is a subset of people who just don't like being part of a society or maybe they just think that they alone should decide how this society does things. Thinking that way I can see one might be constantly at odds with modern life, constantly angry or complaining on city data. Must be a sad way to live.

Me, I'm too busy enjoying life to get too upset when the government isn't exactly as I would have it - like now for instance
Dave

[citizensadvocate]

Originally Posted by cb73

We had an impromptu show of illegal fireworks that started at 1 a.m. this morning. It went on for so long that one of my neighbors actually hopped in his car to go find it--they've been fighting about it on the local webpage all day.

Between that and the all-day news stories of various legal fireworks stands being robbed, I'm ready for the whole thing to end.

I guess fourth of July isnt as a good holiday to celebrate independence anymore. Nowadays I notice there are much fewer US flags flying on Independence Day than a few decades ago. Nowadays it just a day to get drunk and cause noisy and sometimes explosive mischief.

Though banning legal stuff does absolutely nothing to those using the illegal stuff. It only hurts the fundraisers and those who wish to use the safe and legal alternatives. In fact the under ground market for bootleg unregulated explosives (fireworks) is much larger in areas that ban the legal stuff. The areas with the legal stuff actually seems less of a war zone than those whose city councils ban everything outright a the local level. There are also no data that shows jurisdictions allowing state legal fireworks being more dangerous for fires or medical emergencies. Last year Anaheim permitted fireworks stands and there had been no reports of increased emergencies over the fourth of July weekend.

For the aloha, you just don't get the point. There are some policy making that are good but many others really need a reality check. The main reason for this post is how things are just absord in terms of policy making. For example why do they "allow" smoking and other dangerous fire making activities yet ban non profit fireworks stands at the local level? So on the flip side I do advocate a ban on tobacco products. Why don't cities or states ban those instead, they account for large amounts of litter, they start countless fires, contribute to air pollution and cause all those health risks not to mention economic impacts due to addiction.
Ironically you mentioned motorcycle helmets, you know aside from requiring a helmet California has very little restrictions for motorcyclists compared other parts of the country or world, even allowing lane splitting.
Another regulation I would like to see enacted is to require a number of public toilets based on zoning. I am surprised this has been overlooked for so long. Nowadays they keep focusing on transgender restroom access but what about restroom access for all? Pretty much everybody who had spend time outside knows how difficult is it to find an available clean facility when nature calls. Its a really a public health issue.

The reason I mentioned the single use bag issue in this is that I notice not only are the most polluting plastic products including other types of wrapping and bags not banned, they severely increased along the side of the road within whereever a juristication passes such "single use trash reduction ordinances" due to increased use of them and spillage of unsecured garbage from trucks. Just as with how banning legal fireworks just drives a much larger illegal and dangerous fireworks market therefore more bans doesn't mean a safer or better world. Therefore it is time for legislators to take a step back and clean up their house. If they don't we the people should step in and force them to.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by citizensadvocate

Maui aloha just curious where did you buy your fireworks?
In Walmart?
Or at a stand in one of those rare sf Bay Area cities that allows fireworks sales but requires all retailers to charge for bags.

My point is to ask whether people on this board think the ban on legal consumer fireworks dumb and whether they hate cities for doing so?

How many would choose a city to live in based on whether they allow consumer fireworks to be sold or used with city limits?

I hate fires and injured people more than I hate any ban on fireworks.

And by the way, if it's banned - it's not legal.