I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all. -- Ogden Nash

Last night, St. Augustine City Commissioners voted 4-1 to let CBS OUTDOOR ADVERTISING and FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY maintain a series of ugly-ass billboard bordering the Sebastain River for eight (8) more years -- until 2016, past the time when we hope the Pope, the President and the world will visit our Nation's Oldest City on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of our city and the 500th anniversary of Florida.

Thank you, Commissioner George Gardner, for voting no, "on principle."

To Mayor JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR., City Attorney RONALD BROWN, City Manager (a/k/a Mangler) WILLIAM B. HARRISS, Vice Mayor DONALD CRICHLOW, Commissioner SUSAN BURK, Commissioner ERROL (a/k/a ERRONEOUS) JONES -- your vote for ugliness is the shame of our City. All your taste is in your mouth. Your actions are against the peace and dignity of the people of St. Augustine. Your vote would gag a maggot.

Former Mayor Gardner was right and y'all were wrong. When the billboards were knocked over and re-erected without permits, CBS OUTDOOR ADVERTISING and FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY broke the law. Our City's Code Enforcement officials and our City's Code Enforcement Board found that CBS OUTDOOR ADVERTISING and FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY broke the law.

Rather than spouting platitudes about the weakness of our billboard law, City Attorney RONALD BROWN should have prepared an actual legal memorandum and discussed it like an adult. Too afraid to litigate, local government attorneys would rather not fight -- they're lickspittles for the rich and powerful, whether wicked evil Henry Flagler's FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY, CBS OUTDOOR ADVERTISING, FLAGLER COLLEGE, ROBERT MICHAEL GRAUBARD or foreign investors from India, China, Korean, Austalia, Canada and elsewhere.

The record of their ugliness speaks for itself. Who are Ms. BURK and Messrs. HARRISS, BROWN, JONES, CRICHLOW and BOLES? Small-minded ninnies resplendent in their nincompoopery, somehow expecting to celebrate our 450th with ugly billboards at our entrance corridor. Ms. BURK and Messrs. HARRISS, BROWN, JONES, CRICHLOW and BOLES are all about making our beautiful City of St. Augustine resemble "God's Own Junkyard."

In the immortal words of poet Ogden Nash:
"I think that I shall never see a billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all." --


When you see the Sebastian River billboards, vote for honest government officials on August 26th and November 4th -- let your vote count now more than ever.

Vote for reformers. Vote against BILLBOARD BOOSTERS JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR. and ERROL (a/k/a ERRONEOUS) JONES. When you see them, HARRISS, BROWN, BURK and CRICHLOW, tell them off. That's what our Founders had in mind. Don't cower tgo power.

And when you think CBS and FLAGLER EAST COAST RAILWAY, think about not buying their dumb ole watered stock. Say no to corporate blackmail and inept City Attorneys.

See excellent November 2007 article below by reporter Peter Guinta, below:

Three billboards must go



PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 11/21/07

St. Augustine's code board this week ordered three standing commercial billboards removed from the marshfront north of King Street and west of Ponce de Leon Boulevard.

The City Commission passed a "no more billboard" ordinance like many municipalities in Florida a long time ago because they detracted from the scenic quality of the city.

Mark Knight, director of planning and building, said, "The ordinance made all billboards illegal."

Some that were already standing were permitted to stay until they were damaged more than 50 percent.

Matthew Mercer, a St. Augustine attorney, argued on behalf of the city that these three billboards were repaired illegally after they were knocked down in a storm.

That rebuilding violated city codes.

Mercer presented eyewitness, expert testimony and photographic evidence to prove the signs were in violation.

His opponent, Fort Lauderdale attorney William McCormick of Ruden McCloskey, represents Infinity Outdoor of Florida Inc., owner of the signs.

McCormick did not respond to phone calls asking for comment. But he argued that it's difficult to assess the damage to a downed billboard.

He compared the "fair market" value of each sign's future revenues estimated at $130,000 with the amount Infinite Outdoor spent on repairs, which was much less than 50 percent.

The problem began June 12, when a heavy storm struck St. Augustine and knocked the billboards down.

The company then rebuilt the signs without informing the city.

Two of the billboards in question are joined in a "V" shape and advertise Chick-Fil-A restaurants and a local sightseeing train company. The third stands just north of King Street and advertises Adam & Eve, a store on South U.S. 1 selling risque cards and products to adult customers.

Mercer said, "The code doesn't assess a billboard's future revenue. It refers to its installed value."

The board voted 5-0, with two of its seven members missing, to have the signs taken down.

Infinity Outdoor has 30 days to remove them. The company can appeal the board's decision to circuit court.

"But if the signs are not removed within 30 days, a $250 per day, per sign fine will continue to accrue during any appeal," Mercer said. "If they chose to appeal and lose again, they are responsible for the fine."

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