Urban blight, namely billboards no matter what their description, is a natural artifact of city growth and expansion. Phoenix and its freeways are already becoming another congested Santa Monica, Calif. How can former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard suggest that Phoenix return to the 25-year tradition of making garishly lit billboards illegal, when traditional forms of communication have nearly become displaced, such as postal mail for paying bills and letter writing by smartphones, iPhones or email? That we have these advanced means of accomplishing the same thing doesn't mean citizens of Phoenix have alienated themselves from core values that matter most to their safety and well-being; so how would Goddard know "billboard companies are overriding the values of the citizens of Phoenix?" (AFN, Oct. 12).
Phoenix leadership doesn't get it. In this case, those Vegas-style billboards, which can sequentially scroll through several different businesses in one billboard, are efficient use of billboard space. As garish as they may seem they attract the attention of consumers. What strikes one initially as a negative, becomes a positive, for people will subconsciously remember the business from this unintentionally offensive moment; they'll likely find themselves patronizing the business after recalling having seen it somewhere. I see these billboards as a way of helping Phoenix regain its strong economic footing, inviting people to buy products or services, to once again become a healthy business environment.
Sandy Jane Wong
