From: whs70@dancer.uucp (22501-sohl)
Subject: Re: Can't I start a business in this town?
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 19:49:52 GMT

In article <N0BisB1w165w@dogear.spk.wa.us> bobk@dogear.spk.wa.us (Bob Kirkpatrick) writes:
>whs70@dancer.uucp (22501-sohl) writes:
>
>> In article <14250006@hpmwmat.sr.hp.com> mikep@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Mike Powell) 
>> >	In reference to laws regulating what types of business may
>> >	be allowed to 'do business':
>> >
>> >	I am considering running a 'paintball' business in my town.
>> >	This is a game where people shoot paint-pellets from air-guns
>> >	in an 'adult' game of "tag".
>[...]
>
>> [...]
>> It would seem to me, based on the legal advice our township
>> attorney has discussed with us, that banning "paint ball" would
>> have to be based on reasonable goals for the public good.  For
>> me, I can't see anything benefiting the public by banning a 
>> business that people are willing to spend money on.  Banning
>> "paint ball" just because they (the supervisors) don't like
>> the sport/game wouldn't be an easily defendable position if
>> it went to court.
>
>I have heard of town banning certain business --not the X rated places,
>but businesses which engage in 'dangerous' activities. "Gotcha," known
>also as 'paintball' is one of those I've heard of being banned. Another
>is the new rage, bungee jumping.
>
>Paintball has been banned, as I've heard, I have no cites, on the same
>basis as BB guns and other projectile firing devices. They apparently
>relied on existing ordinances against BB guns (whatever) to base their
>restriction.
>
>Bungee jumping has me confused, though. Towns with no bans on parachute
>jumping, hang gliding, or other height-related activities have said no
>to bungee.
>
>As a strictly personal opinion, I believe ordinances like this to be
>well beyond the scope of what government should restrict.

I agree with all of the above (especially what I wrote before :-)

The bungee jumping banning I'd think would be driven more by a state
restriction.  At least that's the level of discussion that pops up in
the newspaper stories regarding bungee jumping being allowed or not in
New Jersey.  In any case, I still think that if the original poster
wants to start his business, he should begin the process.  It will only
be after he does so that any resistence to the business may surface.

From my perspective as an elected official, I don't believe the local
government should have any say in the matter unless it could somehow
be shown that it would endanger those on surrounding property (not
likely from everything I've read about paint ball).

Standard Disclaimer- Any opinions, etc. are mine and NOT my employer's.
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