Next year, a whimper might do it

After all the work that went into putting on a spectacular fireworks show July 4th, here’s the stinky dud in the water bucket: Negative $9,000. Unofficially, that’s the difference between what was raised and what was spent.

The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the show, has plenty of time to figure out what it’s going to do next year. Here’s an idea: Nothing.

Our region has fallen into an entitlement mentality with its Independence Day celebration. With the exception of a handful of businesses that cough up hard-earned profits every year to support the show, and some kind-hearted patriots who toss bucks into buckets during the parade, most residents and visitors tend to soak in all the joy without sweating out a single cent. The bucket brigade this year, for instance, hoped to raise about $23,000 for next year’s show; a reasonable figure considering an estimated 30,000 people attend the parade. The final tally? Gulp: $1,435.

Years ago we recommended, albeit tongue in cheek, that the city charge admission — at least to visitors flowing into town with Washington plates. We reasoned that many of these visitors are the obnoxious drunks whose half-naked exhibitions and graphic language suck much of the fun out of the day for the rest of us, so they should be required to pay. This year there were reports that mostly locals gathered at McEuen Park, where a clean, happy family environment pervaded. On The Resort lawn, the beaches and through City Park, though, it was a very different atmosphere — one where earplugs and smoke filters should have been standard issue.

With locals apparently expected to pay the entire fireworks freight while half or more of the crowd is from across the state line, ultimately, the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce is left holding a big, empty bag when sufficient funds don’t come in. Maybe it’s time for a massive silent reminder.

Do we cherish our pyrotechnic tradition enough to preserve it, or are we almost all glib passengers on the Entitlement Express?

One Fourth of July without a fireworks display over Lake Coeur d’Alene might be the best way to answer that question.