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Wednesday 13 December 2006

Billboard ban by blowhard busybodies

Anyone who ever visited Russia in its days before plutocracy will know what a world without billboards is like. Spend any time in in that drab, dull, bland, uniform, colourless world and before too long you find yourself -- with some surprise -- yearning for your first billboard.

The Auckland City Council likes that world. The Auckland City Council wants to ban billboards. Why? Because they can. Because the law gives them the power. Because, they argue, the ban and the lack of visual interest from the ban will help to make Auckland an “international city.” Auckland City Busybody Glenda Fryer argues, the ban would bring Auckland "into line" with other “main international cities with European influences.”

Clearly, the Busybody has never visited Picadilly. Or the Kurfurstendamme. Or Potsdamer Platz.

As Bernard Darnton notes: "I can only assume 'European influences' is secret code for socialism."

Perhaps Glenda and her colleagues would be more at home in Murmansk, pictured right?

UPDATE: Julian has a good letter you can send to the councillors, and their email addresses so you can send it to them.

LINKS: Auckland wants to ban billboards - Bernard Darnton, Section 14

RELATED: Urban Design, Auckland, Politics-NZ
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous13 Dec 2006, 12:37:00

    It seems that they missed the "e" off the end of "International".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous13 Dec 2006, 15:22:00

    And while the busybodies in local govt concern themselves with banning billboards, their big sister's all set to ban ticket scalping and other 'disreputable practices', according to RWC Minister (yes, really) Mallard on this morning's TRN news.

    So where's the victim who so desperately requires state protection in this simple buyer/seller transaction?

    A: There isn't one. Where's there's no crime, there's no victim.

    Just another attack on capitalism by your not-so-friendly statists, campers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rebel Radius13 Dec 2006, 15:31:00

    I have submitted scathing emails to the councillors concerned.

    And continuing on the subject

    Ban Ban Ban

    Ban on gang colours sought

    Gang colours worn by teenage thugs on the streets of Christchurch could be outlawed as the city fights back against intimidation and violence.

    Police say they are considering a bylaw to ban gang colours to help keep the central city safe from attacks by youths, although civil libertarians say the idea may breach human rights"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous14 Dec 2006, 09:05:00

    Have any other readers noticed that the shot of Murmansk looks quite similar to the urban-wasteland style of Waitangi Park in Wellington.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous14 Dec 2006, 16:33:00

    Guess the arena in which National cleaned Labour's clock in the last election?

    That's right kids.....Billboards!

    Slimey pricks.

    ReplyDelete

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