Politicians give us less rights to celebrate July 4th vs.other states

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

States across America are embracing the freedom to celebrate our independence with real fireworks. The number of states that ban all explosive fireworks has gone from 11 to 4 in the past decade. Oregon has gone nowhere as we sit near the bottom on fireworks that we allow. Government agencies complain that even with Oregon’s super restrictive laws, we are still in a state of danger and a state of “war” to use their words. Just this week, the media reported that Portland fire department spends more than $7,000 a year in extra costs dealing with fireworks. I wonder how that $7,000 stacks up to the cost the Portland Fire Dept. spent on the state’s largest print advertisement spot (front page Sunday Oregonian June 17th) and a their city advertising sweep on billboards telling people the dangers of fireworks.   Do we spend some $350,000 to save $7,000?   

Let people be free to celebrate. Legalize real fireworks.