Nanny State Question (rentals, house, to buy)

[ChadPettingill]

As the 4th of July approaches, I've been told that the entire state of Oregon has a ban on certain fireworks that the state feels are too dangerous too use like Roman Candles and such.

My question is, why does Oregon have so many "nanny state" laws when the state house was under Republican control (until 2006) for so many years? Don't republicans usually oppose these ridiculous laws?

I'm just trying to figure out the weird politics here and any comment or answer would be appreciated.

[tablemtn]

From what I understand, most of those laws were put in place decades ago, after some incidents involving fireworks and forest fires. It's a bit silly, but there doesn't seem to be any impetus to change the laws.

[Silverfall]

Some people are too self-centered to watch out for themselves and others, hence the legislators step in and do it.

I have lived in Oregon for 17 years and those fireworks have been banned the entire time, I've lived here. It isn't anything new. If you want them reinstated, write to your congressman.

I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure out the politics of Oregon. It's all over the map.

[westvillemama]

By the time the first week of July rolls around, most of the grasslands and forests are simply too dry and the humidity too low to risk allowing private use of fireworks which can go off at a distance. I mean, if a single cigarette butt thrown out the window can cause a 200,000 acre blaze... Accidental forest and grass fires are an honest threat in the PNW, and unfortunately even the most sober and responsible person can still have an accident with something that flies up into the air while on fire. Better safe than sorry, you know? It has much less to do with restriction of personal freedoms than it reflects a genuine concern for the wellbeing of the state's citizens, property, wildlife and forests. In most places one cannot burn anything outdoors during the summer months either, not even in a container. I was born in OR more than 3 decades ago, and I do not remember a time when those sort of fireworks were legal, but still someone manages to make fire happen even with the safer legal ones every year.

[karlsch]

You can drive on I-84 to Idaho to buy fireworks.


Of course, even in the wide open spaces of Eastern Oregon, you must drive at the nanny-prescribed 65mph.


As soon as you reach Idaho, not only can you buy decent fireworks, you can increase your speed to 75mph.


When you are in Idaho you might as well buy a souvenir tee shirt

[ChadPettingill]

Thanks for the comments. I grew up in WA and even though I find the two states very, very similar, the small differences are very quirky and puzzling. When I go to visit the parentals though, it is nice to be able to go 70 rather than 65

[PNW Proud]

I'm not an economist, but I think money has a big influence. I grew up in OR but currently reside in the Puget Sound Region. Compare Oregon economy to Washington economy and the difference is big. Washington has big players in the global market (Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile, WaMu) while Oregon has Nike and not much else. Big players create big influence in state legislature and I think that's why there are more weird nanny laws in Oregon.

Even though democrats have had big control for decades in WA compared to loose control in OR (not this year though), the businesses who contribute to campaigns of senators and state reps have a mission and that is to make profit.

Speaking as an observer rather than a player, the Death with Dignity Law (passed in '91 in good ole OR) is trying its wings up here. Even though less than 400 people have taken advantage of it for the last 20 or so years, it's very controversial and everyone in OR should see how it plays out come November.

Maybe I'll return to OR someday, but the economy doesn't look promising.

[Minervah]

Speaking as an observer rather than a player, the Death with Dignity Law (passed in '91 in good ole OR) is trying its wings up here. Even though less than 400 people have taken advantage of it for the last 20 or so years, it's very controversial and everyone in OR should see how it plays out come November.

I knew two people with terminal cancer who signed up for this. They both passed away before they could have it administered. On of the nurses who was helping one of these people sign up told her that for the most part, people do die of their illness before they can make use of this procedure. But just the idea of knowing they have control over when to end it makes a huge difference in their attitude towards their impending death.
They take comfort in the fact that if the pain or their deteriorating physical condition becomes too much to bear they can say when enough is enough.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I knew two people with terminal cancer who signed up for this. They both passed away before they could have it administered. On of the nurses who was helping one of these people sign up told her that for the most part, people do die of their illness before they can make use of this procedure. But just the idea of knowing they have control over when to end it makes a huge difference in their attitude towards their impending death.
They take comfort in the fact that if the pain or their deteriorating physical condition becomes too much to bear they can say when enough is enough.

This seems like the epitome of personal freedom.

[Crandall1]

Until you see some half-retarded child of a logger blasting a Roman candle away in a forest of dried-out Douglas Fir, you don't really have a place to comment on this particular law, I don't think. The consequences of "personal freedom," as relating to fireworks, affect a lot more people than your person. Your right to personal freedom ends at the forest that surrounds my house.

Regarding the speed limit, you don't get pulled over here until you're going 10 over. I regularly drive by cops sitting in speed traps going 64 on US22, which is 55. In Idaho, you can get pulled over going 1 over if the cop is in a pissy mood. So the effective speed limits are 64 and 66 on state highways, respectively, and 74 (79 on I-5 in the short 70 stretch) and 76. Yay, Idaho.