County Commission’s New Ad Policy A Problem
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Scrounging for every last dime, the county commission next week will consider a new policy to allow widespread advertising in government buildings and facilities.
But the list of advertising banned under the new law is long, silly and potentially a problem.
Ilene Lieberman: One of Nine Who Will Tell You What You Can See
The new rules prohibit advertising from one major legitimate business in Broward those who sell alcohol.
I never knew commissioners didn’t like beer, wine and liquor. I’ve seen some of them knock back quite a few.
Apparently what’s good for them is not good enough for us.
The new policy in overly broad language would prohibit ads “associated with or which may be associated with alcoholic beverages.
Would any restaurant with the word “tavern or “bar in its title be prevented from advertising because the words are “associated with alcoholic beverages?
The sale of alcohol is a major business in Broward, employing thousands. How dare they decide it is beneath them to advertise such businesses, especially in a community with a lot of tourism.
Another definition in the new rules is going to cause trouble. The ban on “an image or the description of graphic violence or the depiction of weapons or other implements or devices associated with an act(s) of violence would put the kibosh on certain movie ads.
Also complicating movie and show ads would be the portion of the new rules forbidding any “image or the depiction of a firearm. Ridiculous. I know the commission doesn’t like guns, but they are available in stores on every corner.
If you start prohibiting ads from legimate businesses, how soon before the ban widens?
Some consider fatty foods and soda a big problem in society. Will the nannies on the commission ban ads for these legitimate businesses next?
What about the circus, which pays to appear at the county-owned hockey arena in Sunrise? Would ads from the circus, or a zoo, be banned next under pressure from the animal rights crowd?
The prohibition against any words that “demean or disparage on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, disability, ethnicity or sexual orientation is the typical politically correct language you would expect from government.
The problem is that it puts the commission in the business of determining what is demaning or disparaging. That’s not as easy as it sounds, since courts have been wrestling with this issue for years.
There will be no advertising concerning “human reproduction/sexual products or services. This is the commission’s attempt to avoid the abortion issue.
Also banned: Ads from any “religious organization. That’s the commission’s avoidance of any controversy over proselytizing cults.
Of course, any “adult oriented” business is prohibited from advertising. Although taxis and billboards have ads from strip clubs, commissioners apparently don’t like these legitimate businesses, either. They do take money from the clubs hand-over-fist for business licenses.
But permitted under the rules: Ads from the Klu Klux Klan and every other wacky group.
Also permitted: Ads from all type of medical quacks, including Broward’s national disgrace the pain clinics which draw addicts from across the country to our community.
Advertising is a good idea, but does the county commission want to set itself up judging every ad before permitting it.
Can you imagine how long those meetings will drag on? Don’t they have enough to do?
No, I guess not.
August 8th, 2009 at 3:28 am
Of course, they ban ads from alcohol, guns, adult clubs and anti-abortion groups. They are liberal Democrats who want to control what we see, think and believe in. This is no surprise, Buddy. I’m waiting for the first ad from a Republican group, attacking their favorite candidate. What about Bill McCollum buying up every ad he can get in Broward? What would they think about that?
August 8th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I have been a longtime critic of this corrupt commission but you “conservatives” have devolved into just a bunch of rightie nutjobs.
No my church can’t advertise against Abortions but the other side can’t flood the place where so many people work with PRO-ABORTION ads! What about chocolate covered condom ads do you want that too? You people can’t think anything through anymore?
And buddy I am surprised at you with the Rush Limbaugh “nanny state” talking points. The government who we elect are not to be brokers in the debate around the quality and sanctity of the lives we lead.
So it’s really ANYTHING goes. You go live in that libertarian nightmare not me.
August 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Are they going to ban political speech? If not I want to buy the first available space to explain what is truly wrong with our county government and thier own spending policies.
August 8th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Advertising in a government building is a bad idea, but the logical consequence of the popular attitude that we can get government services without having to pay for them.
August 8th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Floridan is right. Much of our problem is the attitude of people that they deserve services. Then when they are asked to pay for them, they balk. People can’t have it both ways.
August 9th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Re: last two posts
You miss the point. We pay for services now – it’s called property taxes and the variety of fees charged by the county. I do expect something for the thousands of dollars that I pay to the county every year. Alas that might be too much to expect.
August 9th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Kevin T,
You do expect too much. Th ecounty commission wastes bushels of money. They have a huge PR staff publishing brochures and flyers to promote themselves. They run a TV station for the same purpose. They give millions to charities to endear themselves to the wives of wealthy men and in return get campaign contributions. The staff is filled with their patronage hires. An independent auditor needs to go in there and cut, cut, cut.
August 9th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
To Thom G
So true!
August 10th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Once the Forum is opened, not sure how anything that’s not illegal could be banned.
August 12th, 2009 at 5:30 am
I for one do not relish sitting in a courtroom and hearing the words, “This verdict was brought to you by Winchester Automatics, for the times when you want justice done right.”
I also disagree that advertising is a good idea. In all actuality it is a symptom of something actually much worse festering away within the county budget. Why do we all of the sudden need this extra money when we’ve gotten by without it for so many years? What added expense does the county now have that they need to bring in even more revenue at the expense of defacing the county buildings that were paid for and are kept working through the multitude of taxes we already pay each and every year?
Another point that Dr. Egon Spengler brings up are the additional lawsuits the county will then have to face, at the taxpayers’ expense, when the commission chooses to disallow certain ads that “they” feel are inappropriate.
No, this is not a good thing. It is simply a way for the commission to maintain their status quo instead of becoming responsible enough to slash the budget.
August 15th, 2009 at 8:51 am
The Commission DOES NOT have or operate a television station. Fact check, please. If Thom G gets something like that wrong, how “reliable” is the rest of his prose?