[Durham INC] N&O Durham News Guest Column: Community supports Durham billboard ban

[Kelly Jarrett]

Community supports Durham billboard ban (Guest column in today's N&O The 
Durham News 
<http://www.thedurhamnews.com/2010/06/30/202506/community-supports-durham-billboard.html>)
BY JOHN SCHELP
First the billboard industry writes a new ordinance that would undo 
Durham's successful billboard ban, allow electronic billboards and open 
the door to lawsuits from others wanting additional changes to our sign 
ordinances. Then the billboard industry and its proxies give campaign 
donations to local officials. Then the billboard industry gives sign 
space to local nonprofits, so industry lobbyists can put pressure on 
officials.

Now the billboard industry is orchestrating a mail campaign, sending 
letters to elected officials, supporting their attempt to overturn our 
billboard ban.

The letters are postmarked from Raleigh and mailed in Fairway envelopes 
- as in Fairway Advertising, the company that helped write the measure 
that would overturn Durham's existing billboard ban and bring electronic 
billboards to our roadways.

Trying to buy votes, horse-trading with cash-strapped nonprofits to 
pressure officials, this latest push using out-of-town postmarks - these 
are the same tactics that the billboard industry uses in communities 
across the country. It's all synthetic-roots campaigning at its finest.

And let's be clear, doling out free ad space is not a great sacrifice 
for local billboard companies whose biggest client appears to be 
"Billboard Available." Our elected officials are too smart to fall for 
the billboard industry's manufactured letter campaign from Raleigh.

Durham citizens support our current ban on billboards by a 9:1 margin. 
Durham's Environmental Affairs Board, the Herald-Sun, Planning 
Commission and Durham's InterNeighborhood Council have all come out 
against the billboard industry's measure. The Durham News published 
three supportive political cartoons. The Independent Weekly posted a map 
of all the billboards in Durham, showing one asking motorists why they 
should patronize Durham businesses - when they can go elsewhere. 
Neighborhoods from across the Bull City have endorsed our successful 
billboard ban. Before the Joint City-County Planning Committee met, 
local officials received more than 500 messages supporting Durham's 
billboard ban (and only three for electronic billboards).

Seeing strong opposition in the community, billboard industry lobbyists 
are now mailing so-called "facts" to Durham officials. One "fact" says 
it's very safe to look at a billboard while driving. (Kind of like BP 
lobbyists saying their oil spill is "very modest.")

Another fact says their measure would allow billboards to be moved. What 
it doesn't say is the billboard industry's measure would also let 
non-conforming billboards stay right where they are. Take a look around 
Durham. Most billboards are in certain areas of town. (Look no farther 
than the billboard in East Durham for a gun show in Raleigh.)

Billboards in Durham are now in violation. Once we make these 
non-conforming billboards legal, the door is open. It can't be closed. 
There's no compelling reason to overturn our successful ban on 
billboards - and plenty of reasons not to.

Overturning the ban would open taxpayers to expensive legal fights. 
(Just look at how long billboard lawyers have dragged out this one 
ordinance measure.) We'd also have to pay the cost of all future 
revenues for billboards that have to come down for road widening projects.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the billboard industry's 
measure on August 2; the county commissioners on August 9.

Why would any official jeopardize local funding for schools, police 
protection, social services and libraries just so industry can erect big 
bright billboards blinking 10,000 ads/day? Why would the council and 
county commissioners vote for a measure that was written by billboard 
industry lobbyists?

Officials should not stand by and allow our public landscapes to be 
marred forever by a corporate giveaway to a private billboard company in 
Georgia.

John Schelp lives in Durham. To see maps, photos and letters of support, 
visitsupportdurhambillboardban.com 
<http://supportdurhambillboardban.com> supportdurhambillboardban.com 
<http://supportdurhambillboardban.com>
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