Possession of a balloon on the beach? $100 fine.

[The Straight Story]

In other business, the BOA’s second reading on a balloon ban took a bit of a nose dive, though was not a total bust for environmentalists who endorsed the ban to support habitat for endangered marine life with dozens of e-mails sent to elected officials this week.

The measure to criminalize the possession of a balloon on the beach with a $100 fine and the outdoor release of a balloon or a bouquet of balloons with a $250 fine which passed 3-2 last month came up for a second reading because of a lack of a super-majority vote.

Weeks, who had cast the decisive vote in favor of the sea turtles, reverted to her earlier position advocating for the stiffer fine for balloon release and made a motion eliminating the possession amendment in favor of the stiffer penalty for littering balloon waste.

When it appeared that no other sitting board member was willing to second her motion Mayor Cignotti stepped up to salvage what was left of the ordinance amendment.

http://www.luminanews.com/article.asp?aid=7405&iid=250&sud=30

Let's make fines based on a % of net worth, so some folks would only have to pay a penny for a balloon on the beach and those with more would be out the same %. Otherwise, only the wealthy can break laws without it having any real impact on their wallets ;)

[tabatha]

1. The fine should be such that no matter what one

earns it is a deterrent so that it does not happen. Ever.

Balloons are harmful and besides, we are running low on helium.