Dear Governor Rendell:
Please veto HB1954. It's outrageous that the billboard industry was able to ignore Philadelphia law for so long and put billboards pretty much wherever they wanted to. It's even more outrageous that, now that they are losing these illegal billboard locations in court challenges, they have now succeeded in getting a special provision added to HB1954 to stop citizens from challenging illegal billboards if they don't live within 500 feet of them.
However, the most outrageous thing is that the new provision, like failed City Council Bill 629 which so many Philadelphia citizens opposed, would stop citizens from having standing for SO MANY MORE ISSUES than just billboards. It is very, very important that the citizens of Philadelphia continue to have rights and standing in zoning situations. Please don't take these important rights away from us.
Melani Lamond
University City
