Barry L Williams
Sounds to me like the police are intimidated by the activity.
Don't we keep a police force to protect us; not regulate a free
society? The council majority seemed to sympathize with the
management of the Hyatt rather than sympathize with the patriotic
support we owe our sons and daughters serving in harms way in the
Middle East. The Hyatt has an application; presumably approved; to
hold a fireworks show in March on the same beach according to
unconfirmed sources. Will the council also deny that?
New York police did not shut down the city in fear after Sept. 11,
2001 and are not holding the citizens hostage from activities. The
riots were Downtown, the fireworks were at Huntington Beach High
School two miles away. Perhaps the problem was ineffective police
policy under a chief no longer in service. Doesn't the new chief
accept this as part of his responsibility or does he hide under old
tales of uncontrolled crowds? Uncontrolled by whom? If my memory is
correct I think the police have a bad taste for that also because
there were several complaints of police misconduct lodged. I would
bet that there will be not one dimes difference in the police
salaries expended on the Fourth of July whether there are fireworks
or not. They will have the exact same tactical plan in effect either
way.
The members of the Fourth of July board are all voluntary and
receive no special publicity or reward from their service. There were
even arraignments made for the entire program to be unwritten by
private funds if the city would abandon the ancient ban on liquor
sales and allow a major beverage company to underwrite the program.
The Super Bowl Sunday event can serve beer but the Fourth of July
people are not responsible enough to have beer as an event sponsor.
We will allow, and even beg the beer sales people, to put their
horses and wagon in our parade but will not allow them to advertise
their product. In exchange for paying for the event. Plus, several
others, including Downtown business owners, pledged financial
participation in a gala of such magnitude as to attract 20 minutes of
national positive exposure.
The charge is, and always has been, to provide at no cost to the
city a stage for politicians ride in a parade and citizens to enjoy
our nations birthday, which has for time and memorial included
fireworks? They were moved to the school because of fog not riots.
The Police Department should bend over backward to assist in a
celebration ranking us right up there with New York and Boston in
