Pioneer Press Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:29:50 -0700
A mythical middle ground
Your editorial, "Getting close on billboards" (Dec. 17), is a flawed masterpiece. It is a masterpiece of apparently reasonable tone, asking that we find a solution in the middle of pro- and anti-billboard forces, between the "demand for electronic billboards ... and neighborhood wishes." The problem is that you made up this happy middle ground by ignoring evidence. The evidence shows that Power-Points-in-the-sky are dangerous distractions to drivers that are associated with car crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that a driver glancing off the road for two seconds doubles the chance of a crash or a near-crash. Another problem is that St. Paul city ordinances, numerous community council resolutions and most suburban communities identify billboards as visual nuisances that threaten our property values. By inventing a mythical middle ground that favors the wishes of the billboard industry, you are showing a preference for the industry at the expense of citizens. JOEL CLEMMER St. Paul
[[keywords: Legal;Living;Ramsey;]]
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