Appropriate with the recent hot weather, the Gilroy fireworks
issue is heating up again according to a March 3 Dispatch article.
And of course the compromised solution is to add an additional tax
(conveniently called a
”
fee
”
) of 8 percent, payable by everyone who will purchase fireworks
in Gilroy.
Appropriate with the recent hot weather, the Gilroy fireworks issue is heating up again according to a March 3 Dispatch article. And of course the compromised solution is to add an additional tax (conveniently called a “fee”) of 8 percent, payable by everyone who will purchase fireworks in Gilroy.
While I agree that something has to be done about “dangerous” fireworks, I have to laugh at the “education through channel 17” part of the proposed fireworks plan. Yeah, those people who are determined to set off dangerous fireworks are really going to get “educated” not to do it by watching channel 17. Who in Gilroy even knows about channel 17?
Those local lawbreakers who are determined to set off illegal fireworks won’t care if it were played on the FOX News channel or written on stone tablets hanging in the sky for that matter. So Gilroy city fathers, go ahead and publish warnings in the printed media like The Dispatch and on signage and postings around town. But for greater impact, why not put some real teeth into the warnings by adding substantial fines of at least $1,000 for violations that cause fires from either legal or illegal fireworks. And glue these warning labels (large print please) on all fireworks sold in Gilroy so that all purchasers are alerted to the reality of these monetary fines for violations.
If fireworks sales are to remain viable in Gilroy this coming July 4th and in future years, then the burden of safety must be placed upon the public users of fireworks, and it seems the only way to do that will be to make the violators (who are caught) pay big through their pocketbooks. While I detest the idea of “Big Brother” government watching over our every move by adding more laws even here in Gilroy, maybe it makes sense this coming July 4th that Gilroy neighbors have a heightened awareness and determination to report fireworks lawbreakers to GPD and thereby help enforce public safety.
* * *
The problem with Gilroy’s post office drop-off mail capability was interestingly addressed in a letter written to The Dispatch by Ken Bone on March 1. Who (except longtime Gilroy residents) could have guessed that there used to be three deposit boxes on the east side of Eigleberry Street across from the post office some years back?
But as Mr. Bone pointed out, apparently the GPD was able to get them yanked due to the volume of illegal U turns made by postal patrons. That just goes to show you that Americans are driving on the “wrong” side of the street by having our steering wheels on the left side of our vehicles and driving in the right hand lane.
Even the post office itself drives vehicles that have the steering wheels on the right side so that the driver can easily place mail into rural mailboxes without reaching across the vehicle or getting out. Maybe the mail deposit solution to this whole Gilroy post office mess is to make Eigleberry Street one way (south bound) between 4th and 5th streets, and put the deposit boxes back on the east side of Eigleberry Street.
That way, drivers could deposit mail from the driver’s side of their vehicles. Also remove the existing mail deposit boxes from the alley to the west of the post office, and make that alley one way for northbound traffic only. This solution would hopefully resolve the current post office alley traffic safety problems.
But (sigh) it’s probably just another futile suggestion, since I don’t have a degree in traffic engineering, and these days, a common sense approach is apparently politically incorrect in virtually all government jobs, even on the local Gilroy level.
* * *
My March 2nd column idea for an “I’ve Voted in Gilroy” contest to be held right after each election ended with a closing challenge of “Well Gilroy, what do you think?” Well, I received a grand total of one email reply from a local business owner saying it was a good suggestion and making an offer of $100 towards the prize drawing. Wow, at least one person is alive out there and has an opinion.
Sometimes I wonder how many people who read the Opinion section of The Dispatch are motivated enough to reply to the local columnists or the editor directly by e-mail or letter, even about opinions they don’t agree with. Maybe it just goes to prove a contention I have that most people are too busy with all the stuff of daily living to even express their opinions openly.
So I guess I was too optimistic to think that some community dialog could begin by proposing such an idea to fight voter apathy here in town. So much for trying to set a course for promoting public discourse in Gilroy. Seems like I really bombed on this one. So, back to the drawing board for better voter turnout in the November election.
James Fennell was in corporate management for over 25 years, and now is a local realtor. He can be reached at
je*******@in*****.com
. His column is published each Tuesday.
