Public Citizen to Miami Mayor: Don’t Allow LED Billboards on Public Buildings
April 26, 2012
Public Citizen to Miami Mayor: Don’t Allow LED Billboards on Public Buildings
Letters Highlight How Advertisements Violate Local Codes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The city of Miami and county of Miami-Dade should not allow light-emitting diode (LED) billboards on publicly owned buildings, Public Citizen’s Commercial Alert program said in letters sent this week to city and county officials.
The city of Miami is considering a new ordinance that would allow LED billboards to be placed on publicly owned buildings – including the Miami Children’s Museum. According to the Miami-Dade County Attorney, these LED billboards would violate the county sign code. Existing LED billboards in the city of Miami also appear to be in violation of the sign code. Public Citizen calls on city officials to reject the ordinance and asks county officials to enforce the sign code to prevent additional LED advertisements.
“Is it asking too much for the city not to plaster commercial ads in apparent violation of the county sign code on the side of a building meant to educate and entertain children?” said Public Citizen President Robert Weissman.
“With the city’s proposal, residents and visitors will be subjected to unavoidable sales pitches,” said Elizabeth Ben-Ishai, campaign coordinator for Public Citizen’s Commercial Alert program. “Billboards are a form of advertising that people are unable to choose to avoid, unlike ads on television or the Internet, for example.”
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