Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Casino's

Is taking the word CASINO off signs really going to make people less likely to go in and spend their money? The word is being replaced/removed on signs all over town. If we take the words Pawn Shop off signs will people stop selling stereo's to pay for their gambling? How about we make the word BAR so unpopular people will stay at home to drink. Or go to the casino uh, gaming institution, to drink and gamble. New casino's are not putting "the word" up, but we still know what goes on inside. Casino's are part of free enterprise, people go to them because they want to! They have just as much right to advertise as anyone else, and honestly do a better job of regulating their signage than many other business in town. There are alot of them, but if they didn't make money they wouldn't be there. Lets attack quality instead of content for a moment. Oh, wait you cannot regulate signs based on content! Any sign advertising a defunct business must be removed in 180 days. But no, lets just paint or flip the face. That looks much better. (And the Montana Bar sign is a bit over 180 days - I think. Why is it still up?) Temporary signs must be of professional quality - Boy, You sure notice a difference there lately!
Sandwich boards are only allowed on public property in the Central Business District-and every business on Central got a warning. What about on 10th Ave S.? Not in the CBD. Signs on public property, there Every Day! And put a new face on a sign - Like a old face that you took the word Casino off - and the sign inspector wants a look. Not that he is an electrical inspector...Or a building inspector..
And nobody cares about the regulations for window graphics. Good thing that was addressed in the new code.
O.K. I'm done with my rant.

posted by a-fire-fly at 11:15 AM

2 Old Comments:

A gal after my own heart. I have to believe that the anti-casino zealots are not quite as strong in number as they suggest, given that the Tribune tied Dona Stebbins to the bar/casinos, and she still one.

As far as your comments on the sign code? Right on! (Did I just date myself, or what?) It hasn't even been in place a year and already the selective enforcement has begun. Sure glad we hired the new sign code hall monitor at 50k a year. I can hardly wait to see what they do with the new zoning code (at least when their victims aren't two, nice little old ladies trying to live in a mobile home).

By Blogger GeeGuy, at 9:16 PM  

I think they are more loud than strong.
On the sign code- is selective enforcement better or worse than no enforcement? I work in the sign industry, spoke against the code at commission meetings and also applied for that job. I believe the code, in whatever form it takes, is workable as long as it inforced in a way people understand. I've been doing this sign stuff for 12 years and I can't understand all the code, or some of the enforcement issues out there.

By Blogger a-fire-fly, at 10:30 PM