Righeimer's Fireworks Scheme

NOT A FIREWORKS FAN...
Disclaimer: Let's be clear right off the bat - I'm not a fan of neighborhood fireworks celebrations. I understand that the sales of fireworks fully fund some youth sports programs, but the use - and misuse - of so-called "safe and sane" fireworks constitutes a real safety hazard to the children of our city. Even columnist Steve Smith, nanny to us all, almost burned down his house a few years ago when he mishandled fireworks debris.

EXPANDED SALES AND DISCHARGING PROPOSED
At their next regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 the Costa Mesa City Council will consider, among other things, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer's scheme to change the municipal ordinance regarding the sale and discharge of fireworks to expand the practice this year because the holiday occurs on Monday, July 4th. You can read the staff report and ordinance language HERE.

SALES 5 DAYS, DISCHARGING ON 4
Righeimer explained at an earlier council meeting that he felt it was appropriate since the Monday holiday might put a crimp in neighborhood parties. In fact, during the meeting at which he proposed this scheme he actually said people want to have their parties on Friday! So, his plan is to have fireworks sold beginning Thursday, June 30th and end on the 4th. However, he also wants the ordinance changed to permit the discharge of fireworks every night from the 1st through the 4th.

PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS AND COSTS
There are many reasons this is a bad idea, not the least of which is that in normal years - with one evening's fireworks permitted - our police and fire staff is stretched thin. This year, with reduced staffing in both organizations, stretching the fireworks discharging for 4 nights, not one, will make it extremely difficult, and MUCH MORE COSTLY, for our public safety folks to do the job we expect of them.

PUBLIC SERVICES CLEAN UP, TOO
Additional days of discharging fireworks throughout the city also means a MUCH greater effort by our Public Services organization to clean up after the celebrations. And, it will cost more money, too.

NO HELICOPTER TO HELP PATROL
Add to that the complication of no longer having the ABLE helicopter available to provide an "eye in the sky" to help surface-based patrols respond to emergencies more quickly and we have a recipe for disaster. In a short-sighted budget cutting measure, ABLE is supposed to be mothballed as of the beginning of the new fiscal year - July 1. Unless that deep-pocketed resident that was mentioned recently as a possible savior of the ABLE program has stepped up, the squadron of ABLE helicopters will be in an induced coma in the hanger at John Wayne Airport, waiting to be sold for parts, scrap or to a third-world drug lord to patrol his marijuana farms or some other similar ignominious fate.

CHILDREN IN GREATER DANGER
With four days and nights on which to discharge the fireworks parents will quite naturally be more lax in their supervision of children, which is further complicated by Righeimer's request to reinstate "spinner type" fireworks, currently banned in our city. They were banned specifically because of the potential for danger to small children.

PETS AFFECTED, TOO
Those of us with pets will have a particularly tough time of it if fireworks are permitted to be discharged legally for the best part of a week. In years past it was possible to sedate and secure pets in a room with music blaring to protect them from the noise. Even that, however, was not completely successful and stray frightened dogs and cats were found throughout the city for weeks after the holiday. What will this 5-day war zone do to the pets?

PUTTING PROFIT BEFORE PUBLIC SAFETY
A cynical person might suspect that the real motivation behind Righeimer's scheme is pure cash. Yep, he and his pal, Steve Mensinger, are huge youth sports boosters. In years past many of the booster organizations that benefited from the fireworks sales were able to fund their entire programs for a year on the proceeds. This year, with 5 additional days of sales and 4 additional nights of discharging the fireworks, this will very likely be a windfall for those groups. It's easy to assume the groups selling fireworks this year will see profits exceeding 400% of previous year's efforts.

FEE FOR SERVICES SHOULD BE CHARGED
I realize I may be the lone voice against this plan - nothing new about that. However, that doesn't change the facts. More fireworks mean greater potential for damage to life, limb and property. It also means a much more costly experience for the city at a time when our elected leaders are screaming poverty and planning layoffs of huge segments of the staff, including public safety personnel. If this scheme is passed it should be done ONLY if it includes a charge to those profiting from the sales to help defray the city's increased costs for public safety and clean up. I suggest a fee of 10% of gross sales for the 5 days, to be remitted no later than the close of business the Friday following the holiday. An alternative would be to simply charge a flat permit fee - say $2,000.00 per vendor - payable at the time the sales permit is issued. That would generate around $60,000 in additional revenue to the city to help defray the costs for this event. More would be better.

PUT SAFETY FIRST
Regardless what happens, I hope all Costa Mesa residents and the friends they invite to their neighborhoods for Independence Day celebrations will, unlike the bonehead at the top of this page, exercise good judgment when using fireworks. A child scarred for life because of irresponsible behavior with fireworks is too great a price to pay.