Schwarzenegger Has Until September 30 to Sign

A bill allowing cities to ban mobile advertising trailers has passed the California Legislature and is headed to the governor’s desk.

Once signed, the Los Angeles City Council will be able to pass a motion regulating the signs within city limits.  Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has until Sept. 30 to act on the legislation or it will become law without his signature.

“These mobile eyesores have been a threat to our community, blighting our neighborhoods and creating horrific safety issues. This legislation will finally give us the local control to ban them once and for all,” said Mitch Englander, chief-of-staff to Councilman Greig Smith.

The bill was co-sponsored by state Assemblymen Bob Blumenfield (D, San Fernando Valley) and Mike Feuer (D, Los Angeles).

Bruce Boyer, owner of a mobile billboard company has parked a trailer outside Blumenfield’s Van Nuys office reading: “Free Valley Streets … Fire Fascist Bob Blumenfield.” The sign has already attracted at least one parking ticket.

Ad Trailer“Even if the legislation is signed into law, we will file for declaratory relief in Federal Court. The legislation is such a perversion of the rights of vehicle owners that it would most likely be blocked by the courts,” Boyer said in an email. “If that failed, Blumenfield did such a sloppy job writing the legislation that we could fire cannons through the loopholes in it,” he said.

“Bottomline, the sign trailers will still be out there, and the pols will have Bruce as their straw-man. I will not yield to the fascists and surrender my rights. Oh, and I don’t scare well either!” Boyer said.

Several months ago Boyer parked a trailer beside the Devonshire Division police station. “I have a license plate. The state of California says I can operate on any street or highway in the state. I have every right that everybody else does,” Boyer told KABC-TV.

“I’m tired of seeing these unsightly billboards on unhitched trailers all over our neighborhoods. They are nothing more than road spam,” Blumenfield said. “I know many others are sick of them too. Literally thousands of people in our community have complained to me about these eyesores. It’s time to get rid of them once and for all,” he said.

“These signs are a distracting safety hazard for drivers, a source of blight in neighborhoods, and a drain on scarce parking spaces intended for business patrons. They should be outlawed, and this legislation will help communities take action against them,” said Feuer.

The bill is strongly supported by the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, a Blumenfield spokesman said.

To express your opinion on this issue, you can contact the governor at https://gov.ca.gov/.  Choose the Interact tab for email instructions. Or you can phone his Los Angeles office at (213) 897-0322.