Pull the plug on billboards
Re “Big bright blight,” Opinion, Jan. 7
Michael Woo’s commentary on ways the city can get a grip on billboards misses one obvious way to eliminate these ugly, energy-gulping beasts: starve them.
The billboards run on electricity, often supplied by the city’s Department of Water and Power. How much is it costing the city utility to generate additional energy for this new use? And with much electricity coming from coal, the new load from electronic billboards means the amount of greenhouse gas emissions just jumped.
The city should use electric meters under every billboard. Power should be shut off to every illegal electronic sign. Then, the city has every right to drastically increase electric rates for the legal signs, to reflect the true cost to our environment.
Hans Laetz
Malibu
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Does anyone think about the wasted energy in these electronic billboards?
I have been asked to turn out lights in unused rooms in my home, to run my dishwasher or washing machine only during nonpeak hours, to use energy-efficient lightbulbs -- and the city has no problem with these billboards?
Connie Fosso
Glendale
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Re “Residents take stock of billboards,” Jan. 11
As a lad, I arrived in Los Angeles in 1941 and was truly amazed at the beauty of the city, as well as the mountain views. Twenty years ago, I moved to the desert -- another beautiful spot.
However, in recent years, the view increasingly is that of billboards and signs no matter which way you look.
Our architecture and our mountains have become lost in a forest of “media.”
Conrad J. Doerr
Palm Springs
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Re “Court upholds ban on signs,” Jan. 7
Bravo to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for its ruling on upholding L.A.’s billboard limits. Anyone who has been to Santa Barbara will notice the absence of billboards.
Billboards are visual pollution and should be banned.
Greg Bristol
Santa Barbara
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Thank you for your recent coverage of the problems that billboard and outdoor advertising companies have been causing for the people of Los Angeles.
Our elected officials need to get rid of illegal billboards and any illegal outdoor advertising, charging those companies that have installed them for their removal. Digital billboards need to be placed in such a way that they do not shine in the windows of homeowners and tenants.
Our city can either bring the billboards under control now or allow us to become the city with the worst billboard problem in the nation.
Aaron Furlong
Santa Monica
