I have been keeping bees for 15 years.  I don't suggest that that puts me in
the category of expert, but I can relate my experience.  I find honey bees
to be docile beings.  I have a number of "home hives" 20 feet off my front
porch where I sit on my rocking chair in the summer.  The bees have never
taken exception to me there.  In fact, I have never been stung by a bee
except when they logically considered their hive in danger from my actions.
That generally takes a lot rather than just walking by.

On the other hand, I had a nest of yellow jackets under the apple tree on
the other side of my porch and they had to go.  They were extremely
aggressive.  Most don't know the difference between a bee and a yellow
jacket.

If your community is upset about stinging episodes, perhaps they should make
sure they know what is doing the stinging.  I would be very surprised to
find a honey bee involved.  Perhaps they should ban yellow jacket colonies.
That would make a much greater difference in the danger to residents.

"Physicians believe that many
> more deaths may occur than are reported, mistakenly diagnosed as heart
> attacks, sun strokes or attributed to other causes."

This argument is ridicules.  There are also physicians that believe that bee
stings cure MS and prevent arthritis.  Neither statement is pertinent to
your argument.

"--1% of the population has a potentially fatal allergy to stinging
> insect venom."

An interesting hypothesis.  I have been suspicious of these percentages
since over thirty years as a high school teacher, I saw "Medical Concerns
List" for my students - which at one time had nearly no sting allergies -
grow to about 25% with sting allergies.  Have people changed?  When I ask
about their allergy, I often hear that when they get stung, is swells up and
hurts.  I sense that many who assume an allergy to stings are really
responding to something that hurts (or gets their mother excited) and not a
life-threatening systemic response.

If you have not read it, the recent issue of Bee Culture has two articles on
bees and the law.

Good luck with the city.

Larry Krengel
Marengo, IL