Setting of fireworks is now patriotic in more ways than one: It can help put your local government's budget in the black. As cities and counties around the country struggle to make ends meet, many are lifting old restrictions on fireworks. A 65-year-old ban in Hawkins Country, Tenn., was lifted in the hopes it would generate as much as $200,000 in annual permit fees and sales tax revenue. Pennsylvania is trying to balance safety with revenue by allowing only non-Pennsylvanians to buy heavy duty fireworks. The industry generated $925 million in sales in 2010.
