Billboards vs. trees — which has your support?
An intense political war returns to the state legislature Thursday — the one between billboards and trees, writes AJC reporter Ariel Hart.
Under House Bill 179, billboard owners could clear-cut state-owned trees from in front of their signs, so that drivers can better see the advertisements, Hart reports.
It’s a colorful war, Hart says. Ladies in green jackets and scarves – the signature attire of the Garden Club of Georgia — have swarmed the legislative committee hearings, arguing the bill will leave swaths of highway bereft of oaks, sycamores and other trees that now are protected.
Heavy-hitter lobbyists swarmed back, responding that jobs and hard-earned profits are at stake, Hart reports.
Which side are you on? Why?
Should the trees stay up?
Should sign owners just raise the signs?
Will jobs be jeopardized?
- Henry Unger, The Biz Beat
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88 comments Add your comment
Mark schisler
February 24th, 2011
11:48 am
I remember when 75 used to be pretty green with lots of nice trees. Then the first selective tree removal bill was passed and so many trees were either cut or trimmed horribly. Now you see the backs of shopping centers and warehouses. Now large swathes of dirt are exposed which capture trash and are difficult to maintain. Now the billboard companies want to remove virtually all the trees. Enough! I am heartened to see the vast majority of respondents on this comment page oppose the tree removal. In fact most want the billboards removed! Not the trees!
T Kelly
February 24th, 2011
12:11 pm
Trees should NEVER be cut for a sign. I can’t imagine anyone reading those signs; especially when driving. I never have in 50 years of driving.
It is morally wrong to cut trees when the world needs the oxygen they produce and co2 the trees remove from the air.
trees gotta go
February 24th, 2011
12:22 pm
the more trees cut the better. cut trees if they are in the way.
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February 24th, 2011
12:28 pm
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Vince
February 24th, 2011
12:35 pm
Georgia is a laughingstock among the states when it comes to our billboards. They are ugly and an embarrassment.
Years ago I made a pledge not to give my traveling business to any service or store that uses billboards for advertisement.
Let’s not just gripe about the problem however, …let’s all write our legislators and let them know we are watching how they vote on this bill.
I’m not sure why we have given billboard companies the perks they enjoy now. With every concession that is given to them, they come back in a few years and want more. They should not be allowed to cut ANY tree on public land….no matter how small. Laws should be in place that disallow boards over a certain height…they are dangerous, a distraction, and too high to read anyway.
Competitor?
February 24th, 2011
12:45 pm
Sounds like the AJC is providing multiple platforms for a few to bash its advertising competitor. No one is addressing the enormous deficit the state faces and ideas for increasing sales tax revenue. The question should be if these existing signs promote local businesses how much additional sales tax revenue will it generate? Can this effort save /create jobs? Is there a low growing vegetation alternative?
Conservative Republican
February 24th, 2011
12:52 pm
As a conservative Republican, I am very strongly opposed to the billboard bill. The idea of further desecrating the beautiful state of Georgia by cutting trees to display billboards is moronic. By the way, my conservative friends agree with me on this. And we vote!
Matt
February 24th, 2011
12:52 pm
Clear Channel and their ilk don’t care about anything but their own bottom lines. Nobody is tearing down billboards to plant trees so we should defend our beautiful state while we still can. I really hope our law makers read these posts!
willydoit?
February 24th, 2011
12:57 pm
I was on the side of the billboard companies until reading all the posts in this discussion.
After thinking about it, we use our GPS to find pretty much everything we need when we are traveling, therefore, there’s no need in searching the skies for the Cracker Barrel sign anymore.
Billboards are outdated!!
Typical Redneck
February 24th, 2011
1:10 pm
Make the billboard companies pay for the timber if they must cut the trees. As others have stated, the amount of billboards in GA is an embarassment to our beautiful state.
rodertrudis
February 24th, 2011
1:19 pm
I can sum it up in three words: Butt Naked!
Bubba
February 24th, 2011
1:35 pm
As long as the bill is fair and even-handed and also allows the public to cut down signs on private land, then I’m for it.
Slim
February 24th, 2011
1:47 pm
I make plenty of money form the billboard guys. With that extra money, I’ve been able to afford a better brand of Meth and I know where the Bare all girls work. I bet you didn’t even know that some of those places even have American girls.Dayum… So y’all just chill out or you’ll never know where to get a pecan log.
Buckeye
February 24th, 2011
1:58 pm
My gosh, the sky is falling. Dooley vs. Herscel. Whoda ever thunkit?
Horatio Sanz
February 24th, 2011
2:02 pm
Is this a joke?
Hell no, I don’t think billboard owners should be able to cut down trees on public land. It’s sad that this “debate” has even got this far.
big tom
February 24th, 2011
2:05 pm
England doesn’t allow billboards. The visual effect of that is amazing when driving through their countryside. Wish our country was like that.
PTC Bernie
February 24th, 2011
2:07 pm
Billboards are an eyesore at best, and an accident causing distraction at worst. Who wants to look at a trashy roadside view with a relentless bombardment of useless lawyer’s ads and “Free Extra Basket of Wings on Tuesdays!” ? Spend the money on having your business come up higher in a web search. More and more people are using smart phones for searching out places to eat and entertainment, to name a few.
big tom
February 24th, 2011
2:07 pm
Bubba, that is hilarious. Good point! And fair.
dawg
February 24th, 2011
2:17 pm
Herschel,
As a UGA alum and big fan of yours, I’m extremely disappointed that you would side with the billboard companies on this issue.
REM
February 24th, 2011
2:20 pm
Leave the trees alone! Take a drive through Maine or New Hampshire. Their roadways are not littered with this unsightly crap every 500 yards.
notjustduckierightnow
February 24th, 2011
2:31 pm
I would urge all you wonderfully funny (sincerely!) writers to take the next step and use your wit to contact your representatives. You can use the following link to determine who your Georgia General Assembly Senate Rep is: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/officials/congress
Mo info
February 24th, 2011
2:50 pm
More billboards are needed on the highways—it’s hard to find the information I need any other way, especially when my iphone is out of range.
Signs`
February 24th, 2011
2:52 pm
Don’t cut the trees . . . cut the posts that all existing signs are on. We need to ban these ugly billboard signs altogether!
Signs`
February 24th, 2011
2:54 pm
@Horatio . . .I wonder how many of our elected officials have an “interest” in billboard signage???
Skreet
February 24th, 2011
3:05 pm
The citizens of Georgia show terrible disrespect for her natural resources and it is extremely unfortunate.
KB
February 24th, 2011
3:43 pm
Maybe we can abandon some old cars and scatter some rusty auto parts around the signs too….then we can have all the condiments on the sh*t sandwich that is our highways. Way to go state government.
David
February 24th, 2011
6:12 pm
Whatever happened to the trees are the lungs of our planet? Well at least we will have the billboards standing when global climate change turns the southeast into a drought stricken desert…that should be good for business…
ignorant, much?
February 24th, 2011
7:26 pm
it appears that the AJC doesn’t like to post comments that support this bill. I submitted one earlier but it was apparently “overlooked”. I’ll make this short and sweet…I am employed by a billboard company. It puts food on my table and a roof over my family’s head. My company does not advertise stip clubs or spas but I could list dozens of public service ads that we have run. Go ahead and cut those billboards, but I bet if your child was missing, you would wish those “tv” billboards that are such a “monstrosity” were littering our interstates and highways then plastering information and pictures of your child. After all of you have gotten rid of all the devilish billboards in the state, I and every other billboard company employee will be standing in the unemployment line and all you “taxpayers” will be having to support us…but, hey, you can all give yourselves a big pat on the back for saving those trees! As I’m uprooting my kids from the home they’ve grown up in because we can no longer afford it, I’ll explain to them that it is okay because the tax payers trees along the interstate are safe (until the state decides to widen the road and take them all out anyway). As I’m dropping my dog off at the pound because we can’t afford to feed her anymore, I’ll look at her and say “It’s okay, the taxpayers interstate trees are safe” – which I bet will make my children stop crying too, don’t you think?
Anyway, you guys keep rallying – save those trees! The several hundred Georgia employees who depend on the income they earn working in the billboard industry will just be waiting in the wings.
ignorant, much?
February 24th, 2011
8:22 pm
Enter your comments here
Vince
February 24th, 2011
10:23 pm
@ignorant, much?
I do not wish your family ill will, but trying to justify desecrating the state scenery so you can keep a job is not an adequate argument. Sorry. By the same reasoning, let’s hire people to cut down every tree in the state, or to pave park land. Think about it.
TnGelding
February 25th, 2011
12:19 am
Go plant a tree if you want work.
robbie
February 25th, 2011
7:42 am
I feel there should be no more tree cutting and that the fees for those that are cut should be increased significantly. Seems the majority also feel this way but I won’t hold my breath for this to happen. This issue is representative of our good ole boy state and how they screw the citizens every time. No wonder the nation looks down upon us.
getyourown
February 25th, 2011
2:45 pm
I am very disappointed in Georgia’s politicians. I can’t believe they honestly think that cutting down trees in favor of billboards is good for Georgians, will create jobs, and save lives. Shame on you!
FedUp
February 25th, 2011
3:54 pm
This bill is appalling on many different levels. First, the trees belong to the PEOPLE of Georgia. These fascist fools who are supposed to represent us have absolutely no authority to give away OUR trees to a bunch of thieving corporations and banksters. Secondly, when family members or friends drive to Georgia to visit me one of things they have always remarked on is how beautiful the drive through Georgia is with all of the trees that line our highways. You cut our trees down then you completely alter the natural beauty of the state. We would look more like Oklahoma or Kansas than Georgia.
Everyone needs to fight this by sending off emails, letters and calling the Senators and Gov Deal to let them know that supporting this is political suicide. This isn’t a Democrat vs Republican issue. I have been a Republican for most of my life and oppose this as does most of my Republican friends. If you look at the vote record you will also find that a lot of Democrats voted for this as well. If there is one thing that really unites Georgians it’s when they start messing with our beautiful tress…
Ignorant, much?
February 25th, 2011
4:16 pm
Vince, I find it so refreshing that you think that a few interstate trees are more precious than mine and all other billboard co. employee’s livelihood. What if the people you worked for decided to close the your office, knock down the building andt plant a tree farm and eco conservation. Would you feel okay in losing your job because it was helping the environment by ADDING trees?
And TnGelding – kiss my @$$! I’ll leave the self rightious tree hugging to you. Why, it must be difficult to get internet in that teepee you live in. I mean, I know you must have been completely opposed to any lots being cleared of trees for a family home. Do you have indoor plumbing in that hut?
Robbie – FYI – if you cut down a tree and took it to the mill you would be paid fair market value of $100. If a billboard company wanted to cut down the same tree, we would pay over $2000. That is after a 1000% mark up on the cost per tree cut, application fees, tree trimming/ or cutting fees, and hiring a state licensed arborist. Trust me, there is a mark up and the state maks a king’s ransom on it.
FedUp
February 25th, 2011
5:18 pm
@Ignorant, much? – we’re not talking about just a few trees here, if this thing goes through virtually every tree along the interstates will be cut. They want these ugly ass billboards to be visible from long distances. That means they will need to clear cut large swaths of trees to get that visibility. When you factor in the number of billboards and the bends/curves/hills/valleys in the interstate roads you’re talking about the majority of trees being taken out. And comparing clearing land to build houses to what this bill will allow is comparing apples to oranges. Private land is cleared to build houses, the land along the interstates is public land that by law is supposed to be protected.
Vince
February 25th, 2011
8:33 pm
@ ignorant much
Thank you. If my office caused a blight on the landscape and made Georgia a laughingstock then, yes. I would say bulldoze it and plant some trees in its place. I would be proud to find another job.
I like Bubba’s response. Go ahead and let the bb companies come onto public land a cut down the public’s trees, but in turn allow the public to go onto private land and cut down billboards.
I’m not sure who ever thought it would be a good idea to put distracting signs along a busy interstate. He/she must have either been a tow truck operator or a body shop mechanic.
Still remember having to try to explain to my 6 and 8 year old kids, on their way to Disney World, what the hundreds of WE BARE ALL signs meant.
govt free
February 26th, 2011
9:47 pm
companies should be able to put up billboards whereever they want. The government shouldn’t be able to tell you where you can advertise—it’s a violation of free speech.