Fireworks going phut...luxuries versus essentials

One more example of cutbacks in excessive lifestyles.

fireworks; Taste of Chicago - chicagotribune.com: "Nothing says God bless America like the Third of July fireworks and a pickle on a stick. That's summer in Chicago, where the city's Independence Eve display has long been one of the biggest draws of the annual Taste of Chicago festival.

But there won't be fireworks at this year's Taste. The city can't afford it. Even the three mini-bursts it sponsored last year were too expensive: $110,000 plus $750,000 for security.

The savings won't come close to putting this year's budget in the black, but we salute the decision anyway. A city that doesn't have enough money to fix its potholes needs to watch its nickels and dimes. With plenty of places to get your July Fourth fireworks fix — Navy Pier is the obvious fallback — the July 3 boomfest is a redundant extravagance."