SoHo Politics: Freedom of Expression?

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.
—Paul Valery (1871 - 1945)

This week a huge billboard which had been erected along the BQE toppled over and landed upon one side of the highway. Fortunately, no one was injured. It was one among hundreds of such constructions which exist solely for the purposes of displaying advertising along the roadway where hundreds of thousands of motorists and their passengers view them every day.

For nearly a decade, the SoHo Journal, in cooperation with community activists and community groups have lobbied for the removal of many of the eyesores which have populated our city. These signs, which are defended by media companies and sign erectors, are mostly illegal. The constructions along the BQE, the billboards along Broome Street and Watts Street, the steel attachments to the sides of buildings on West Broadway, and the stanchions in SoHo are, for the most part, illegal. None of them abide by the existing laws on the books.

Peter Vallone, former City Council Speaker, as well a few other downtown politicians passed a law that fines the companies involved ($25,000 per day) but there has been zero enforcement. The fact that there is heavy lobbying against curtailing any SoHo billboards should be no surprise. The media companies contribute heavily to campaigns and have an ally in the Mayor, who, coincidentally, runs a media company. And, Bloomberg has essentially neutered the Department of Buildings, the agency that is charged with enforcement of the laws. Former City Council member Gerson held meetings that went nowhere and Margaret Chin has never addressed the subject at all.

At the last meeting held with the community (at least 6 years ago), since the Community Board #2 has never dealt with this issue of illegality, nearly 50 workers and lawyers for the media and sign companies appeared. Only 4 community people showed -- including venerable activist Doris Diether. The lack of representation by the community was not due to lack of interest. The community was given only 3 hours advance notice of the meeting and it had no binding effect.

Money buys many things, but apparently not always safety.