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Keep city leaders out of back yards

In a recent edition of the “Around the Area” Dunkirk Councilman Michael Civiletto was quoted as asking for clarification on the city’s existing “fire pit law.”

Mr. Civiletto stated it was vaguely worded and states no open burning is permitted except for cooking. The fire chief stated “cooking fires” are only permitted with gas, propane or charcoal. Can propane explode? I do not recall a house fire or other fire being caused by a backyard chimeney. Does that data exist?

I ask Councilman Civiletto what is the sudden concern over this subject? Is this an “anti-s’ more” law? We are living in a “nanny state” run by Albany already. We have bigger issues in the city and country than invading our privacy and taking away more of our freedoms.

Perhaps the council should spend more effort and prepare for the future as our working population dwindles, tax revenue shrinks and drugs take over our neighborhoods. What does the Council plan to do when the New York state bailout finally ends because of the cash cow tax revenue we lost from NRG power plant?

So far it is business as usual because I suspect that they plan to double or triple our property taxes of homeowner’s, many of which are on fixed income. The council had no problem considering maintaining private commercial property though. This is another example of government officials who do not respect the average taxpayer’s and insult us with an invasion of privacy over cooking food in our own backyard.

Let’s ban meat smokers too because they use wood chips!

Let people enjoy their yards as long as it does not bother anyone. Why is the biggest concern to look over our fence and tell us we can not make a s’more or cook a hotdog because of the extreme danger a s’more can cause? Perhaps we take a look at the noise laws in the city as well because there are an awfully lot of very “noisy” windchimes out in backyards that need to be regulated and removed because of the racket they make. Let’s just forget about the noise laws though when anyone can drive around the city at all hours of the night with their car stereos blaring around 180 decibels disturbing sleep.

I think the police have their hands full already to deal with real criminals and drug dealers everywhere instead of writing tickets to backyard s’more lovers.

Doug Hamernik is a Dunkirk resident.

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