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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Bad signs in the city
Courtesy of hiddencityphila.org

It's Our Money weighs in on a proposal by Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. to legalize certain temporary bandit signs:

As if we didn't have enough litter on the street, the city also has too much rubbish nailed to poles. We're talking about "bandit signs": small signs plastered on streetlights and utility poles all over Philadelphia advertising businesses with classy slogans like "Top Dollar Paid for Junk Vehicles" and "We Buy Houses." They're ugly and a bane for neighborhood groups trying to improve the city's quality of life, not to mention its property values. And, believe it or not, given their omnipresence, the signs are also against the law.

A bill introduced by Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. last week would legalize signs on streetlights and utility poles, as long as advertisers pay the city $1 per sign and follow minimal guidelines, like not using glue or nails to hang them up.

Jones wants to raise money for our cash-strapped city. He also believes that his bill will give the city more time to crack down on advertisers that don't register their illegal signs - and hit them with big fines.

The problem, he says, is that the law on the books just isn't being strictly enforced.

We doubt that his bill would help. Christopher Sawyer, founder of the anti-blight Bandit Project, estimates that there are 20,000 illegal signs throughout Philadelphia at any given time. Yet, in 2010, the city wrote only eight — yes, eight — tickets for signs, despite the fact that each violation comes with a $75 fine.

If Sawyer is right, that means the city is leaving up to $1.5 million in fines on the table. So if our government lacks the resources to collect that money, how exactly will it be able to enforce Jones' proposed law?

It won't. Allow us to suggest a better idea instead: Hire people who get a commission for every $75 fine they collect on bandit signs. The city should also enlist more volunteers who are eager to tear down the ugly signs. We bet plenty are ready to make Philadelphia more beautiful.

Follow us on Twitter and review city services on our sister site, City Howl.
Posted by Holly Otterbein @ 6:57 AM  Permalink | 3 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:51 AM, 01/31/2012
    Enforce the laws that are already in place. No new laws!
    — Flyers2001
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:02 AM, 01/31/2012
    I agree with Flyers. Stop making laws that cannot be enforced! How much money could be raised through actually enforcing the cell phone driving ban? How about abandoned properties? How about bail? Littering? Parking in the median? The list goes on.
    — T
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:36 PM, 01/31/2012
    "The city should also enlist more volunteers who are eager to tear down the ugly signs. We bet plenty are ready to make Philadelphia more beautiful."

    Where do I sign up?
    — h4zzmatt


3 comments
About It's Our Money
Every year, city government spends slightly more than $4 billion. Where does all that money come from? More importantly, where does it go? Are we getting the most bang for our tax buck? “It's Our Money” is a joint project between Philadelphia Daily News and WHYY, funded by the William Penn Foundation, designed to answer these questions.




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@hollyotterbein

Juliana Reyes:
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juliana.f.reyes@gmail.com
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