Well here we go again. Another July 4th in the desert. I was driving today with an non-political friend of mine in Cathedral City and she remarked, "Why are they selling fireworks in the middle of a drought?" Why indeed?
I have been fighting the battle against "safe and sane" fireworks for at least a decade. It defies common sense. In the last few years, a lot of citizens in Cathedral City have joined in the fight. To his credit, Councilman Shelly Kaplan fulfilled a campaign promise to bring it to the Council's attention last year. It failed.
The reason give for that failure wass the fact that non-profits in the city raise money selling fireworks. A few years ago, St, Louis Church used the money they raised to send kids to see the Pope!! Today's Desert Sun even chimes in with a planted article on how a local church is feeding the homeless by selling fireworks. Ex Cathedral City Councilman Chuck Vasquez is prominently featured in the story. Is this the only way to raise money?
The Desert Sun, opining on this topic last year somehow equated fireworks sales with military service!!! Yeah there will be no Pulitzer for that editorial.
The sale of fireworks in the desert, suffering through a drought of biblical proportions is absolutely insane. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that. It is lunacy.
The city needs to work with non-profits to ensure that they can have safe and sane fundraising!! The sale of fireworks is an action that contains no sparkle. None at all
Steve Kelly can be reached at @skellynj or at skelly@rrbroadcasting.com
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