Back to City Hall: Billboard lobby pushes back vote with shady amendments
There are numerous reasons why the plan to tax billboards and use the money to fund culture is a long overdue strategy as outlined in this post by Torontoist writer Hamutal Dotan. What became clear from Tuesday’s proceedings at City Hall was that the wealthy billboard lobby ain’t goin out like that.
Amendments proposed by Councillor Norm Kelly on Tuesday pose a real danger to the Beautifulcity.ca initiative. Councillor Adam Vaughan pointed out (to inappropriate and thoroughly scolded applause) that the amendments amounted to cutting the proposed tax in half while more than doubling the number of billboards allowed and increasing their size.
Whether or not these amendments will become reality has a lot to do with if middle-of-the-road councillors feel the public pressure to accept the bylaw as the city’s own non-partisan staff has recommended, or whether this is something they can float under the radar on and side with the lobbyists by passing it with shady amendments.
If you show up in at City Hall tomorrow that becomes less likely. It is an election year after all…
New jpg / date here: http://www.beautifulcity.ca/
Thanks Devon.
I think its worth noting the the art and graphic design work from the artists involved in this initiative has been much stronger than that produced by the pro-billboard lobbyists. Its an excellent and visceral example of exactly how and why this tax should be tied to arts funding. They’re all just empty billboards without artists.