Ron Lander is a barber. But he's also a councilman in the Fresno County town of Coalinga, population 12,000. He's heard a lot from locals about plans to cancel this year's Fourth of July fireworks.
"That's what we signed up for," he sighs. "We have to make tough decisions at times."
Although many parts of California have rebounded from the Great Recession, parts of the Central Valley are still grappling with double-digit unemployment and shaky city finances. Lander figures Coalinga will save $15,000 without the fireworks show.
"[We're] talking about layoffs or fireworks," says Lander. "I think we want to be able to keep our people employed. Unfortunate situation, but that’s the way it had to be."