Get-Off-My-Lawn party poopers trying to defuse July 4th fireworks locally and statewide are winning few converts along Maine’s midcoast.
First it was a Democrat state senator introducing legislation in Augusta to limit good-old-fashioned fun.
[RELATED: Knox-County Democrat Wants to Spoil Your Firework Fun]
Now it’s Camden Select Board members suggesting that fireworks displays may require too much town staff time to oversee – even though by law town officials can’t limit commercial boomers.
Town Manager Audra Caler had recommended in a memo that the board “decide what resources the town will continue to provide for free, at a cost, or at all, to assist with fireworks displays…”
Board member Alison McKellar joined the fireworks-doomsday brigade – which includes state Sen. Anne Beebe-Center, D-Knox – expressing worries about the potential of fireworks starting a fire.
Stuart Smith, a prominent hotel owner, said he wanted to emphasize the value of July 4 fireworks, which bring people into the town and town businesses, making it one of the busiest weekends of the year, according to the Midcoast Villager.
Erick Anderson of the Camden Area Business Group, which has organized and paid for the July 4 displays, said he understands there have been complaints, but argued the positives outweigh the problems.
On the statewide level, the party killjoys are led by Beebe-Center, who wants to crack down on celebrations by reducing the hours commercial fireworks are allowed and increasing penalties for violations.
Next thing you know, these cheerleaders of the administrative state will be mimicking Greenwood, which is trying to impose a 70 decibel sound limit on its citizens which could be construed as criminalizing backfiring fires.
While silence may be golden for some, it isn’t so for everyone.
