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The Balloon Council vs. State of California
California to Metal Balloons: "You're Fiscally Evil" | Photo by Iain Farrell via Flickr
Those cute and innocent helium-metallic balloons we give to kids may soon be outlawed by California legislators. Yes, that's right, the great State of California is outlawing fun. Apparently, if you want the f-word, go to Wisconsin or something.
But seriously, Sen. Jack Scott, D-Altadena, proposed to ban metallic balloons filled with helium because when they get loose, they can hit power lines, causing electric wires to arc. The Pasadena Star News reports that in turn, the damage causes outages, thus millions of dollars going to resources to remedy the problem. The balloons can still be sold, just not with a gas that would make it float high enough to hit electricity wires.
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California law already states that balloons sold must have a weight to hold them down, but once in the hands of wee little ones, they can easily float away, especially if the weight is an added value toy or piece of candy.
The opposition goes to the Balloon Council's lobbyists (wait, a lobbyist for balloons?!) who say California would be the first state to have such a ban. And if the ban passes like it did in a Senate Public Safety Committee, it will go into effect in 2010.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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