It's time we all made up our minds about fireworks. For years now the city and county have been trying to figure out what to do about fireworks.

Bakersfield's fire chief has called for an outright ban. The city and county already regulate the hours firework stands can operate, and the latest big idea is to make fireworks stands shell out an added fee to pay for police enforcement of laws that are controversial and often ignored.

Let's face it; a lot of people around here believe setting off fireworks on the 4th of July is as American as mom and apple pie.

We all heard the arguments against fireworks. But thousands of families here still shoot them off each Independence Day.

We keep arguing about how to regulate them because no one really wants to take money away from the non-profit groups that operate the fireworks stands.

So 23ABC says it's time to stop trying to put a band-aid on this festering issue. Let's put it to a vote.

Let the people of Kern County decide whether or not they want fireworks sold and set off here. Not only would a vote settle the issue once and for all, but we think that would do more to increase voter turnout than any race between politicians.

That's our take, now it's your turn.