Besides Florida's Stan Mayfield/Mike
Haridopolos billboard bill, U.S. Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, has attached a
billboard amendment to the Iraq, Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina emergency
appropriation bill now in conference in Washington, that would retroactively
legalize illegally rebuilt billboards damaged from the 2004 hurricanes.
According to the Gainesville Sun, about 280 out of 5,000 billboards were
damaged on Florida's federal highways. Citizens for a Scenic Florida points out
that this amendment strips Lady Bird Johnson's inspired Highway Beautification
Act of 1965, which provides that old billboards built in places not zoned for
billboards can't be rebuilt if destroyed by "an act of God."
Thus, a Utah senator, not even a
Florida senator, tells us in Indian River County what trees we can plant and
must cut down along our roads or be fined if they do not.
Moreover, according to the Bible, God put the trees here on Earth not
billboards, but when "an act of God" destroys illegal billboards,
this senator wants to add another new generation of illegal billboards to
replace the original illegal ones, which will then destroy more of God's given
trees.
So why did Florida's transportation department allow non-conforming signs
destroyed to be rebuilt, going against Lady Bird's Highway Beautification Act
of 1965? Reminds me of Florida folk singer Bob Rafkin's song, "Somethin'
Wrong is Going On."
Local governments should decide what billboards we want and what trees to
plant and save and not state or federal governments, nor even a U.S. senator
from Utah.
Now please write Gov. Jeb Bush (400 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399) to
veto House Bill 273 and ask President George W. Bush (1600 Pennsylvania Ave,
Washington, D.C. 20500) to veto the emergency appropriation bill, which has
turned into a highway uglification and billboard relief act.
Richard Baker
Sebastian