Fireworks That Have Not Lost Their Sparkle

Apparently, healthcare and fireworks are no longer privileges; they are entitlements.  The Great Recalibration Continues:

Lack of bucks means less bang this July Fourth for many cash-strapped cities.

Fireworks shows are being canceled or scaled back, mostly in small and midsize cities, as municipalities’ tax revenue dries up with the slowing economy and falling home prices. Funding from corporate sponsorships also has fizzled as businesses deal with economic problems of their own.

The budget realities are forcing communities to decide, for example, whether they can pay for extra police and fire protection for a fireworks show _ or perhaps pay an officer’s salary for the rest of the year. And some organizers have concerns about seeking money for a celebration as communities struggle to take care of life-or-death needs worsened by the recession.

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Fireworks fans acknowledge the tough realities, but also say free fireworks shows aren’t frivolous - rather, that they’re a nearly sacred institution.