Re: What were you thinking?

Thank you so much for your inquiry regarding the “No Religion” billboard
and the media’s coverage regarding its removal. I am responding back to
your inquiry to clear up any misunderstandings and to make it clear that
the City of Rancho Cucamonga gave NO direction in the removal of that
billboard message, or any billboard message. In fact, the City does not
have any authority over the content of a billboard and the City does not
approve what is put up on a billboard and is not authorized to remove
billboard advertisements. The City of Rancho Cucamonga has NO role in
controlling billboard content.

The advertisement that you refer to could go up or down or changed
anyway the billboard company wishes to at any time like any other
billboard without any approval or permit by the City. These are purely
private sector business decisions with no input by the City.

For those who want to know why the billboard company put up a particular
advertisement, it would be appropriate to contact the billboard company.
Conversely, if one has questions regarding the removal of a particular
advertisement, the billboard company should be contacted. The City is
not responsible for any business decisions made by any billboard
company.

Again, I want to thank you for your email. The City of Rancho Cucamonga
appreciates your thoughts and concerns and I sincerely hope that this
response has answered your concerns.

Fabian A. Villenas
Principal Management Analyst
City Manager’s Office
City of Rancho Cucamonga
(909) 477-2700, extension 2006
fabian.villenas@cityofrc.us

So they will try to deny the various sources that have quoted Linda Daniels having said that she contacted the ad company and asked about taking the billboard down. General Outdoor Advertising, not wanting to take the rap all by themselves will probably say they were pressured by the City, even if it wasn’t much pressure.

It doesn’t seem to occur to anyone to simply put the billboard back up for the agreed amount of time and let the City respond to those who complain by educating them about freedom of speech.

How was it you got a response? They haven’t answered my email. Gee, I wonder why?

They responded saying they never did or said anything to the company, that the company acted on its own accord. I guess they are lying. Certainly the redevelopment director exerting influence is a problem, and if proven true, I hope they are sued.

Apparently, the city did not request the advertising company, Great Outdoors Advertising, to take down the billboard.

FFrF made the agreement with General Outdoor Advertizing, the papers were signed, the fee was paid, and the billboard was put up. Then the City got the alleged 90 complaints and Redevelopment Director Linda Daniels publicly admitted, “We contacted the sign company and asked if there was a way to get it removed.”

That is clearly a case of the City improperly intervening to use its influence over a private company to suppress the First Amendment rights of a private group after a completely legal transaction was completed. It was none of the City’s business and using their ability to pressure, whether implicitly or explicitly, was out of line. While these cowards scramble for cover and point their fingers at each other, the fact will remain that both the ad company and the City are liable.

Happy hunting!

“We contacted the sign company and asked if there was a way to get it removed,” Daniels said.

Apathy turns into empathy and compassion only through experience. To expect more is unrealistic, no?

Yes, that change can happen if the experience is the personal loss of the freedom. Fortunately, that experience is rare in this country. Unfortunately, people take it for granted because it is mainly rare among those in the majority opinion. The First Amendment was created to protect minority views; majority views don’t need protection.

Very few people are mature enough to be able to adopt the famous maxim, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” attributed to, but never actually said by Voltaire.

However, I don’t think it is entirely unrealistic to expect that kind of integrity from people who have never been squelched. The idea can be taught. I was taught it in school, ordinary public school, and it stuck. Long before I ever personally experienced being censored, I was able to have empathy and compassion for the minority view, and to see that their freedom of speech is not just equal to, but identical with mine. Maybe in the ensuing years that emphasis on the inclusion of all speech has been lost from our education system. Somehow, we must re-instill this ideal into the public mentality.