Half (52.9 percent) of those responding to our Jan. 19, 2012 online poll about a fireworks felt that the city should enact a more stringent law that would ban fireworks use throughout the city. Forty-one percent said that fireworks should not be banned and 5.9 percent were not sure.
Forty-one percent of the respondents felt that nonprofit organizations should be allowed to sell fireworks more than four days per year, but 44.1 percent said that they should not be allowed to sell fireworks at all. Nearly 6 percent said that nonprofits should sell fireworks for less than four days per year and 8.8 percent were not sure.
Here are some of the comments by those who responded to the survey:
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“Aerial fireworks have fallen in my front and back yards during daylight hours as soon as they become available except for the past two years, for which I am very grateful. Banning all such fireworks would mean that I don’t have to stand guard around my house and garage. Several years ago, a block from the retaining wall in my front yard was blown out and broken by an aerial rocket during someone’s New Year’s Eve party. I understand the nonprofits’ desire to raise funds for their projects but are they prepared to replace my home if it is destroyed by one of their fireworks? Can they guarantee that all of their products are handled by people who understand the potential for danger to property?”
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“Allow nonprofits to sell the safe-and-sane fireworks for several days before the Fourth of July as they have in the past. The fire and police departments should target the illegal fireworks and rockets that I see being shot off in the distance every year. Those are the ones that have the potential to do damage. Keeping fireworks of any kind away from dry summer hillsides is a no-brainer, as I’m sure our founding fathers would agree.”
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“Big fire hazard. I’m always afraid I’ll come home to a burnt down house. Firework sales are only allowed a couple of days but the fireworks continue for a lot longer. Get rid or them. They are a waste of money anyway. Twenty dollars for 20 seconds.”
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“Fireworks are an integral part of Independence day. For God’s sake, let ’em burn!”
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“Fireworks sales should be totally banned in Petaluma. Fireworks displays should be controlled by professionals, not by unsafe neighborhood groups who don’t consider the danger to people or property. Donate the unused fire response dollars to the non-profits when fireworks are totally banned
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“Hey! Let’s celebrate independence by creating severe fire hazards, scary noises for pets, an environmental mess on the streets and sidewalks (seriously — you do know that stuff goes right into the river, if you’re on the west side), all the while send more dollars to China for these dangerous, filthy toys. It’s time to ban these things completely.”
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“I agree with former fire chief Chris Albertson’s opinion: fireworks are dangerous, cause injuries, property damage and should be banned from the general public use in Petaluma. Nonprofits will need to figure out a non-hazardous way of raising funds, like so many of their sister organizations do in thousands of other towns across the country.”
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“I am part of a nonprofit that sells fireworks and I know it is a major source of funding. I still believe that fireworks should be banned. Too dangerous. For those civil libertarians who argue we have a right to be dangerous, maybe to yourself, but not to others. Let’s move fireworks to New Year’s Eve when it is much safer from a fire standpoint.”
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“Increase penalties for illegal fireworks usage, but do not punish everyone by eliminating time-honored traditions. What happened when the country decided to ban alcohol a.k.a. prohibition? Speakeasies on every corner, e.g. Volpi’s. Banning fireworks will lead to illegal activity in high-fire risk areas. As far as the number of days, if it means significant additional income (including sales tax income for the city), then great. But one additional day of sales is probably not worth the effort that city staff would have to put forth. How many people are really going to drive to Rohnert Park just because they can get their fireworks one day earlier? The answer is: very few (although they probably will shop at Costco, Target and Lowe’s while they are there).”
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“I say get rid of fireworks stands completely and while we’re at it forget the lame show at the fairgrounds (even if it is paid for by donations). Both cause nothing but trouble.”
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“I sometimes wonder if certain members of the City Council were ever kids. The vast majority of firework-related problems are because of illegal fireworks, the ones that explode or soar through the air. Problems with legal fireworks usually are caused by unsupervised (adult) usage. Anyway, you have to be an adult to buy them. City Council has other problems to deal with, not Chris Albertson’s pet peeve.”
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“Nonprofits seem to be able to survive in other cities why can’t ours? The fire danger is too high a price to pay. One big fire and you will see the City Council running to outlaw them. Too bad we have to wait until it happens.”
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“OK folks, its time to move on. I live in the Westridge area and we have never been allowed to use safe-and-sane fireworks let alone the illegal ones. Most people are good about the rules and if we want to see fiireworks, we go to the Petaluma display. The non-profits need to find a better way to fund their programs. I was a director of a non-profit here in town and we never used fireworks or had kids sell candy to raise our funds. They need to get creative in this tough economy.”
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“Regulations won’t deter the problems that illegal fireworks or improper use of fireworks cause.”
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“Selling fireworks for four days a year is plenty. No more!”
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“So tired of over governed restrictions! Some people need to practice/teach self control!”
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“Stop the insanity. These folks can go to another city if they want to raise money for their nonprofits by selling fireworks. Go to those crazy cities.”
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“The city needs to think of the safety and health of all citizens and animals in Petaluma. These nonprofits and those who want to sell fireworks at those stands that appear on every corner — TNT and all of that — do not represent the safety and health of Petaluma.
Just because a couple of loud talkers go to City Council and claim to not know any other way to raise money for their nonprofits doesn’t mean the City Council should be swayed by these few. Send a message — we appreciate your nonprofit and what it does and please continue, but find a new way that is healthy, safe and sane to raise funds for your work.”
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“There is nothing safe and sane about selling or buying fireworks to set off — the fire danger, the safety hazard, the extreme harm to animals from the noise — it is not sane, safe or humane. Stop it.”
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“This is one of the best fundraisers these organizations have. Why should they be stopped from selling. It is not their fault that some idiot doesn’t follow the rules.”
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“Way too noisy and a fire hazard. With all the homeless here in Petaluma alone, can’t people find a better way to spend their money?”
Give it to your charities instead of blowing up the neighborhood.”
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“When the police and fire department can stop illegal fireworks like bottle rockets, then they can start worrying about safe-and-sane fireworks. Can’t the people of this town have any fun anymore?”
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