I look at the whole fireworks debacle with trifling amusement as a citizen and with abject frustration as a taxpayer. It was 13 years ago when Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Socrates Bratakos convinced the City Council to ban all fireworks. It was a massive misstep.
Whether one enjoys or despises fireworks, I think it’s indisputable that most of Oahu’s citizens like a little smoke and fire to bring in the New Year. That conviction could be cultural, traditional or just local kine fun, but it is undeniable.
When the city illogically banned all fireworks, Oahu residents were left with little choice but to buy them illegally, as all the innocuous strings of fireworks, smoke bombs and sparklers were taken out of circulation. Bratakos and the City Council, all of whom are receiving fine pensions and lifetime benefits, actually created today’s illegal aerial market.
We are now assigning a task force to police and clean up the mess the City Council created. Could we be more inefficient?
We have more aerial fireworks now because the city took away less-menacing fireworks that were a time-honored tradition here.
Pat Kelly
Kaimuki
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