I think I may have found my calling in California politics.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, it is apparently becoming the Secretary of Fun.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton announced Friday that, if elected, he wants to create something called the Office of Fun and Freedom in his first 100 days.

The office would focus on cutting regulations that make it harder to open venues, host events, and operate nightlife in California.

I know what you are thinking, because I had the same reaction.

It sounds like a political gimmick.

Some of the Ideas Make Sense

Still, after reading through some of Hilton’s ideas, I found myself thinking that parts of the plan actually sound pretty good.

His proposal includes simpler permits for small music venues, easier rules for block parties and food pop-ups, more fire rings, and locally determined last-call times. It also calls for a faster path to open neighborhood gathering places.

At face value, I like a lot of that.

Give me more food pop-ups, as long as the same health standards remain in place. Give families more places to have cookouts and beach fires, as long as there are still rules for litter, burns, and wildfire safety.

As for letting cities decide when bars stop serving alcohol, that one feels a little more dangerous for me personally.

If bars get more control over last call, I may never go home (well, till 4 a.m.).

The larger issue, though, is that many of these regulations exist for good reasons. Food inspections matter. Wildfire restrictions matter. Crowd safety matters. Alcohol safety definitely matters.

I do not want an Office of Fun and Freedom that treats every rule as if it exists only to ruin someone’s weekend.

As someone who regularly writes about DUI crashes, I am also wary of anything that could put more impaired drivers on the road. Making nightlife easier is one thing. Making it less safe is another.

Hilton’s team has acknowledged that loosening regulations should not come at the expense of public safety.

In a news release issued by his campaign, Hilton said that “California still needs tough rules against real harm including serving minors, unsafe food, wildfires and drunk driving — not a system that treats every band, block party and beach fire like a threat.”

Still, expanding access to nightlife and alcohol could create consequences that are not easily controlled, particularly when it comes to impaired driving.

Organizers Would Agree That There Is Too Much Bureaucracy

Where Hilton does have a point is that safety does not have to mean endless bureaucracy.

Talk to almost anyone who organizes festivals, street fairs, or public events and you will eventually hear the same frustration. Permits, fees, insurance requirements, and different agencies can pile up quickly.

Most of those requirements may make sense on their own. The problem is what happens when they all stack together.

I hear versions of that complaint all the time from people involved in events around Fresno. Some feel they are trying to create something positive for the city while getting far less support than they expected.

That connects directly to something I have been writing about lately.

Fresno loves to complain that there is nothing to do here.

If we actually want more things to do, maybe we should make it easier for people to create them.

That does not mean removing safety standards. It means asking whether every fee, form, and approval step is necessary.

I Would Create a Fyre Festival, That’s Not Good

There is one part of Hilton’s proposal that I would immediately reject, however.

He wants automatic approval in some cases when agencies miss deadlines.

That sounds terrible.

Agencies should absolutely be held accountable for responding on time, but approval should still mean someone actually reviewed the plan. A missed deadline should not suddenly make an event safe by default.

Otherwise, I am filing 10,000 applications for the same Saturday and waiting for one to slip through.

Congratulations, Fresno.

Fyre Festival Fresno is officially happening.

California Is Still Weird

That is basically where I land on Hilton’s idea.

He has identified a real problem and wrapped it in a very obvious political gimmick.

California does not have to choose between safety and fun. We can keep food inspections, wildfire rules, alcohol safeguards, and crowd protections while still making the process easier for organizers.

If there are duplicate permits, pointless fees, or rules that no longer make sense, get rid of them.

California is still weird, and I hope it stays that way.

There are still artists, musicians, food vendors, festival organizers, and assorted misfits willing to create things for the rest of us to do.

Maybe government’s role is simply to make saying yes to them a little easier.

And if somebody needs to run that office, Secretary of Fun Haddad still has a pretty nice ring to it.

About the Author

Anthony W. Haddad is a Fresno-based reporter and columnist best known for the award-winning Millennial View column series. He covers a wide range of topics, from pressing local issues and community concerns to the everyday challenges and experiences facing millennials today.

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