Frank and Everyone-
I just wanted to share a little something that really disturbs me about our government on ALL levels, including local governments... and I just wanted to know how everyone else feels about this. First, I want to introduce myself real quick.
I purchased and read your book maybe two years ago, and it gave me so much information that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. Anyway, since then a partner and I have started a small billboard business here in Sacramento, CA. We target small businesses in the area who cannot afford $3,000+ per month for a full size bulletin on the major freeways.. so what we do is rent groundspace fronting these same freeways and use mobile billboard trailers. We currently have four billboard trailers... two of them are in place and are rented for $300 per month. It's not much but considering the groundspace is only $50/mo on each location... its a nice little profit for a couple of college students. We do want to grow to the point where we can start purchasing and building actual structures.
Anyway, here is the story that I wanted to share:
When we first got our business license through the County of Sacramento, our business name "Pacific Outdoor Signs" was automatically listed in the local business journal. A couple weeks later, we recieved a call from a man who said that he owned some commercial real estate along the freeway that he wanted to have a billboard put on to get monthly revenue. We ended up meeting with the guy to try to discuss options. He told us that a month before, Clear Channel Outdoor had come to him and they wanted to put up a double sided 14 x 48 digital billboard, that they projected would generate around $1 million gross per year. They wanted to pay him 20% of the revenue for the groundspace. When they went to the City to get the building permit, (somehow the city discovered how much money was involved in owning the groundspace) they rejected the permit even though it was the proper zoning and spacing. One week later, Clear Channel started erecting the same billboard directly across the freeway on the City's land. There we were on this guy's property looking at the brand new huge digital billboard.. I could've hit it with a rock, that's how close it was. Since then, Clear Channel has built 4 identical structures throughout Sacramento... you guessed it.... ALL on city property! Isn't that interesting.
Oh by the way, in the process of researching this... I also came across a new city ordinance that states that no new structures shall be built within the city limits. There is only one exception. In order to build a new sign, you must remove a billboard somewhere else within the city, and the new billboard that you are going to build must only be on city property. So basically, someday... every billboard in Sacramento will be on city property, paying the city the groundspace rent.
And you thought the State of California was liberal. Am I the only one who can see how wrong this is? I am just waiting for that day that everyone wakes up and together puts their foot down. This is no longer a free market.. I don't care what anyone says... our founding fathers would be ashamed.
-Joseph Chantry
Pacific Outdoor Signs
