Campaign Journal: Standing Up to the Big-Money Lobbyists
A wealthy business lobby demanded that we do things their way. Instead, we stood up for the public's interest. This week, I have a story of democracy at work, and my latest Road Report:
-- Standing Up to the Big-Money Lobbyists.
-- Road Report: Salisbury, Gastonia, Charlotte, Watauga, Wilkes, Lee, Alamance, Greensboro.
Standing Up to the Big-Money Lobbyists
The billboard industry has a reputation. They're everywhere, pushing endlessly for their right to block out the scenery and stay "in your face" at all times on the road. Under the Bush Administration, Federal Highway Administration rulemakers are in their pockets. They contribute heavily to legislative campaigns, and slide sweetheart deals for their signs through state legislatures. When a local government seeks to restrict them in any way, they threaten to sue—and very often do.
As a result, this is a big-money lobby which always expects to get its way. So, when elected officials stand up to them, it's news.
We made news this week in Winston-Salem. In the face of heavy pressure from the signage industry, the Winston-Salem City Council adopted strong limits on the newest trend in visual litter-on-a-stick: "electronic message boards".
You've seen these glowing, flashing distractions along our roadsides. They're just beginning to proliferate fast. In a few years, the commercial streets of any area that doesn't have rules in place to control them may become rows of spinning, blinking ads and videos beaming into drivers' fields of vision.
This is not only a new level of public ugliness, but also an increasing safety hazard. These signs are designed to distract drivers' attention away from the road—and they're very effective in doing so. Unfortunately, research shows that driver distraction is a leading cause of collisions, and that anything which draws a driver's attention away from the road for as little as two seconds measurably increases the risk of accidents.
In other words, the "Las Vegas Strip" effect of rows of flashing signs is one of those things that ought to stay in Vegas.
Naturally, the folks who make big money from selling these expensive new electronic signs to small retailers desperate for any competitive edge don't see it that way. From the billboard industry viewpoint, rules that say their signs can't blink and flash at drivers, at dazzling rates of change, just interfere with their money-printing machine.
That makes them very unhappy with elected leaders who understand the problem, take the long view, and vote for the public's best interests over the profits of this special interest. When the Winston-Salem City Council this past Monday voted 7-1 in favor of new controls on electronic signs, after months of study and public hearings, that upset the sign industry.
As a member of the Council, I made the motion to adopt the new rules. Even more, I took the lead in researching and working this important but controversial rule through the adoption process.
That means the sign industry is going to be seriously unhappy with me. I have no doubt that their displeasure will show up in the form of contributions to another candidate in the Lieutenant Governor primary. (You can check the campaign finance reports as they come out in January for the evidence.)
In the meantime, please consider this: What's important to you in a candidate for public office? Someone who's prepared to stand up to the lobbyists and do what's right for the public?
If so, I need your help. Please check my website, www.danbesse2008.org, for how. I know that the big-money lobbyists aren't going to advise their clients to contribute!
Road Report—Salisbury, Gastonia, Charlotte, Watauga, Wilkes, Lee, Alamance, Greensboro
My road report this week starts at the state Democratic Women's convention in Salisbury on September 22. A big banquet hall full of strong women Democratic leaders assembled there to recognize their achievements for the past year and plan their big push for change in 2008. I was delighted to take part.
On September 24, I was on up the road to speak to the Gaston County Democrats. Two days later, I headed back down I-85 to serve on a panel discussing critical public policy questions, from education to economic opportunity to health care, at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.
Last weekend, it was up to the mountains: the Watauga Democrats Fall Rally in Boone, and the Wilkes County Democratic Supper in North Wilkesboro. (By the way, if you haven't heard, we have a great Democratic mayor and town council in Boone now, but a Republican-backed PAC is spending heavily to try to replace them next month. Our Boone Democratic leaders deserve our support now.)
This Monday night, I was at home in Winston-Salem, working with my city colleagues to pass our electronic sign ordinance. Then on Tuesday October 2, I was off east on US 421 to the Lee County Democratic Banquet in Sanford. It was great to speak with the enthusiastic Democrats of Lee County, young and old alike, at their big event emceed by their hometown hero, former Lieutenant Governor Dennis Wicker.
On October 3, I spoke to the Alamance Senior Democrats in Burlington, including the best Q&A discussion I can recall in a while. These thinking Democrats had good, challenging questions about the lottery and education spending, children's health care, the local tax structure, and public transit. That evening, I was delighted to co-sponsor the Equality North Carolina reception in Greensboro, visiting with friends there including outstanding Democratic Representatives Pricey Harrison and Maggie Jeffus, along with the many other Guilford County supporters of ENC.
This weekend, it's back up the mountain for a full day of Democratic events in Asheville.
Those are my latest campaign highlights. As always, you're invited to check my website for more background, issue information, and contact information at www.danbesse2008.org.
Thanks!
Dan Besse
Democrat for Lieutenant Governor
Dan Besse 2008
P.O. Box 15346
Winston-Salem, NC 27113
www.danbesse2008.org
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