Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
Once again the illegal fireworks are being set off on a nightly basis around our good city. What a thrill these idiots must experience when they disturb the peace until all hours of the night, and early mornings starting most every night. They have a total disrespect for their neighbors for several blocks around.
This year it all started at the end of May. That must be a record. Normally it starts about a week or so before the July 4th celebration. I read with amusement the letter in the Bulletin from Manteca Fire Chief Kirk Waters about a week ago stating that this year they were taking enforcement actions with the Police Department to curtail the use of illegal fireworks. He said they would be patrolling the neighborhoods to catch people using illegal fireworks and would confiscate them, and/or issue citations with fines up to $1,000. Gee, when do you think they might start that program? It’s never been done before. They don’t enforce the speeding laws in neighborhoods, why would they all of a sudden start driving through neighborhoods looking for the use of illegal fireworks, when they don’t drive through the neighborhoods looking for speeders? The good ol’ boy club at City Hall won’t take any action either, they are too busy sucking up to the owners of Great Wolf than paying attention to what’s going on around them in their own city. Last year I wrote to the Mayor and City Council and asked each and every one of them what they planned to do regarding illegal fireworks, and didn’t hear back from any of them, and now all but two are still in place doing what they do best, and that would be pretty much NOTHING. Sure wish I could sit on my dime and collect a pay check for just occupying space, must be nice.
The use of illegal fireworks must be stopped. It’s insane, it’s dangerous, it’s annoying to combat veterans, and annoying to our animal community. If you see these morons lighting that stuff off, call the non-emergency number for the Police Department and complain. The city also needs to do a mass mailing to every resident in Manteca with the rundown of the law, penalties involved. That alone would have an impact on what people chose to do.
Fred Neeleman
Manteca
