[Durham INC] Questions raised about billboard industry's efforts in Durham (today's Herald-Sun)

[Kelly Jarrett]

John et.al:

The article about Fairway's  contributions to local politicians & groups 
was really interesting. It is hard to see it as anything other than 
Fairway's attempt to exert pro-billboard influence on local politicians. 
This looks like Fairway's attempt incur a sense of obligation among 
local politicians & organizations before they are called to vote on 
revising local ordinances to permit electronic billboards.

Since Fairway's presentation to INC and the Herald-Sun's pair of 
articles on electronic billboards, I have seen numerous letters to the 
editor in the H-S opposing electronic billboards--and I don't recall a 
single letter supporting electronic billboards. Durham citizens are 
clearly against them. And surely Fairway knows this--which explains why 
they are attempting to exert their influence  behind the scenes and 
directly on our politicians.

This more we learn about electronic billboards and efforts to bring them 
here, the more the whole thing stinks.

Kelly J.



John Schelp wrote:
> Facing strong community opposition, the billboard industry now has resorted to try and buy local support -- by handing out costly advertising space for free. (See Ray Gronberg's article in the Herald-Sun below.)
>
> Billboard lobbyists can deny quid pro quo all the want. 
>
> But the fact that Downtown Durham, Inc was provided thousands of dollars of free advertising space on a billboard -- shortly before the DDI board is being asked to vote for the billboard industry's measure -- speaks for itself.
>
> Billboard industry handlers can say all these free billboards springing up aren't anything out of the ordinary. The fact is, City Council members are being approached out of the blue and asked to list their favorite local non-profits.
>
> So, when the billboard industry seeks approval from the Council, all they have to do is provide a list of local non-profits they've suddenly "discovered" need help. (It's unfortunate that an out-of-town billboard company is putting our non-profits in a very difficult position.)
>
> Folks in Durham are speaking out. We oppose the billboard industry's move to erect electronic billboards near our homes, schools, churches and parks. 
>
> Imagine walking along New Hope Creek and enjoying a big, bright billboard for used cars. Take the curve on one of our highways and be distracted by lit ads for double cheeseburgers. Visit American Tobacco or the DPAC and take in a bright horizon -- flashing great deals on teeth whitening and J&R's Cigar Outlet in Burlington.
>
> Durham residents can wake up, work, play and sleep near a big, bright billboard blinking new ads every seven seconds.
>
> Thank you, Herald-Sun, for exposing this latest move by the billboard industry. Needless-to-say, this sneaky attempt to buy support speaks volumes.
>
> ~John Schelp
>
> ****
>
> Billboard firm was top donor for tax bid
> By Ray Gronberg, Herald-Sun, 11 Jan 2009 
>
> A Georgia company that wants Durham law changed to let it put up electronic billboards was the largest single donor to the city and county's failed effort last fall to pass a tax on restaurant meals. 
>
> Fairway Outdoor Advertising gave the pro-tax effort $28,650 worth of free billboard space during the campaign, according to a report from a co-chair of the group that led the charge for the levy. 
>
> All told, organizers raised $78,980 in cash and in-kind donations to promote the tax, according to an "accountability report" developer and campaign co-chair Robb Teer forwarded to city officials last week. 
>
> The next-largest donors -- Capitol Broadcasting Co., Duke Energy and Teer Associates Development -- each wrote checks for $5,000, the report said. 
>
> Voters rejected the proposed tax in November, with 72 percent opposed to 28 percent in favor. Revenue from the tax would have funded several projects designed to attract tourists, among them a Minor League Baseball museum some city officials advocate. 
>
> Fairway lobbyists are pushing local officials hard to give them the right to replace some existing billboards with electronic models that could flash new messages every few seconds. The proposal is controversial, especially among neighborhood groups. 
>
> But one of the company's RTP-based lawyers, Patrick Byker, said Friday that the firm's help to the tax campaign is part of "a long line of community efforts" it's supported, including previous city and county bond issues. 
>
> "It wasn't anything out of the ordinary whatsoever," Byker said. 
>
> The lawyer specifically denied any quid pro quo. 
>
> "Absolutely not," he said when asked if the company gave to the meals-tax campaign in hopes of swaying officials to support electronic billboards. "Any insinuation that there was, I think, is completely speculative and really uncalled for." 
>
> Fairway's interest in a rewrite of the city's billboard rules surfaced publicly last summer. 
>
> As it stands, local law would bar replacement of existing billboards with the electronic models. But federal law also protects from local removal orders the 100 billboards that exist here along major road corridors such as Interstate 85 and U.S. 70. 
>
> Company officials have taken an interest in local elections before, and not just in bond referendums. 
>
> Campaign finance reports show that the chairman and CEO of Fairway's parent company, William S. Morris III of Morris Communications, has given money to every current member of the City Council. 
>
> In 2007, Morris, who lives in Augusta, Ga., donated $1,000 to Mayor Bell Bill and Councilman Farad Ali, $750 to Councilman Eugene Brown and $500 to Councilwoman Diane Catotti. 
>
> Those followed 2005 donations of $500 to Councilwoman Cora Cole-McFadden, $300 to Councilman Howard Clement and $250 to Councilman Mike Woodard. 
>
> Morris also gave $1,000 to Bell's opponent in the 2007 mayoral race, former Councilman Thomas Stith. 
>
> The company has provided free billboards recently to several local nonprofits. 
>
> Along one stretch of U.S. 70 in east Durham near East End Avenue, there are new or new-looking billboards for the Durham Public Schools, the Durham Rescue Mission, the Durham Crisis Response Center and Downtown Durham Inc. 
>
> Crisis center Executive Director Aurelia Sands-Belle and rescue mission Chief Operating Officer Rob Tart confirmed that Fairway had provided the billboards rent-free. So did DDI President Bill Kalkhof. 
>
> The crisis center's billboard was so new as of Friday that Sands-Belle was surprised to hear it was up. She said the company hadn't sought a quid pro quo. 
>
> "It was never contingent on anything other than them having a free space" on one of their billboards, she said. 
>
> Kalkhof's business-advocacy group is scheduled to consider endorsing Fairway's electronic-billboards proposal this week. 
>
> Kalkhof himself said the company has offered free billboards to "numerous community organizations" through the years and said he accepted the one on U.S. 70 because it looked like "an excellent opportunity to market downtown in a very cost-effective manner." 
>
> ****
>
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> list at durham-inc.org
> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
>