Petition Tag - billboards

Calling all Philadelphians who care about our visual environment. Councilman DiCicco, as part of his exit strategy from City Council has proposed three devastatingly blighting signage bills... all disapproved by our Planning Commission, for the June 7th Rules Committee.

Bill 110306 - Granting the Owner of Rique Video a a "spot zone" on our riverfront, to legalize and digitalize a currently illegal Risque Cabaret billboard on the roof of a daycare facility.

Bill 100720 - creating a special advertising zone on Market East - the gateway to Independence Hall, allowing huge digital signage, wall wraps and extremely oversized accessory signage.

Lastly Bill 100678 - legalizing the rebuilding of billboards displaced by the I95 expansion, even if they are in a backyard, close to a school, park or church.

A call to action - sign on to this petition in opposing the passage of these bills, and protecting Philadelphia's skyline. In addition, let your powerful voice be heard, come and give your testimony at the June 7th Rules Committee Hearing. Room 400 City Hall at 10:00.

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Building owners and managers are erecting Vinyl Building Wraps at an alarming rate.

Along with creating an eyesore, these signs create a safety hazard for building occupants and fire fighters.

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All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
- Thomas Jefferson

If you are a concerned citizen who wants to protect young children from objectionable billboard ads, sign this petition today to inform both Universal Orlando Resort and Clear Channel Outdoor that you demand cessation of the provocative “Bloody Mary” billboard campaign as well as all future billboard campaigns that feature objectionable and obscene content.

Universal Orlando Resort and Clear Channel Outdoor, the billboard company displaying the ads, have glamorized graphic violence intended for mature consumption and demonstrated an intentional and blatant disregard for children, family values and community standards.

Universal Orlando Resort is currently justifying its billboards under First Amendment privileges and an official company position that the campaign complies with community standards, despite contrary media coverage as well as outspoken requests from concerned citizens and local government leaders to revise the offending billboard campaign. The official public relations mantra of the company, “Universal Orlando is staying within the range of what is acceptable to the community,” is apparently ignorant or ill-informed.

For the record, it should be noted that Universal Orlando Resort boldly admits the campaign is DELIBERATELY designed to shock citizens and their children as outlined in their corporate press release issued on August 26, 2008 which states:

“Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights billboards will use a combination of creativity and sheer scare-factor to introduce a new face behind the horror; a new presence at the event. That presence will take Halloween Horror Nights – and its billboards – to entirely new levels…The new billboards will be creative. They will be provocative. They will be larger-than-life. They will push the art form – and reaction to that art – to places other theme park billboards will not go.”

Universal Orlando Resort premeditated an advertising campaign that was specifically designed to ignite controversy with the apparent goal of generating revenue for Halloween Horror Nights at the expense of the minds and emotional well-being of Orlando’s children.

Concerned citizens simply can’t flip the TV channel or turn the “Bloody Mary” billboard off as they drive by with their children, day after day, on their way to school. This is the issue, that images intended for a mature audience are being thrust upon the minds and hearts of our children with no avenue of escape.

A visual reference of the “Bloody Mary” billboard is featured in the recent Orlando Sentinel article published on September 4, 2008 entitled “Moms to Universal Orlando: ‘Bloody Mary’ billboards too horrible,” and can be seen at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-universal0408sep04,0,3893148.story

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