Why Did the Bureaucrat Cross the Road?

Matt Welch | March 25, 2005

Can you display a sign on your own property alongside a Colorado highway? Not if it's not on the same side of the road as the business being advertised! So ruleth the state's Department of Transportation, which is apparently on a "highway beautification" rampage.

Comments

|3.25.05 @ 2:51PM|#

"Highway beautification" - today's Oxymoron of The Day. Sponsored by your state Department of Transportation.

|3.25.05 @ 2:58PM|#

Highway beautification: Years ago, somebody painted an image of the US flag on I-275. Was it meant to make people feel good when they drove over it? I wish I knew.

TWC|3.25.05 @ 3:10PM|#

Lady Bird Lives

|3.25.05 @ 4:31PM|#

I always have mixed feelings about this issue. Driving around Portland is great cause even in the city its like driving through the forest due to the lack of signs and billboards... but on the flip-side, all that tranquilty turned quickly into frustration when I couldnt find a damn thing.

Eli (creepandblink)|3.25.05 @ 5:00PM|#

Loosely semi-quasi-related: What do people think about the Yahoo international speech case that was heard yesterday? If anyone wants specific details, I have stuff over at Creep and Blink (follow my "my url" link), though you can also just search at law.com or etc (don't want to self-pimp)...

|3.25.05 @ 5:46PM|#

Attention- the Institute for Justice! www.IJ.org
Please help Judy Messoline and Jay Young.

As a Colorado resident, I'm mortified. Our government is getting in the way of these folks' livelihood. fyodor, and anyone else who lives here, it's time for us to let CDOT know that this BS is unacceptable. Anyone else as well, please help us control our government.

Here are the numberes to call:

Complaints and Inquiries: [phone]
Toll-free Complaints and Inquiries: 800-999-4997

From the article, these points might be good to bring up:

That's right, the signs in question are on the lady's own property.

The UFO Watchtower isn't the only tourist attraction in the area that will suffer from CDOT's zealous attempts to rid the area of its local charm and local businesses

Please remember to call Monday if you can't before it's to late today. This is about liberty!

|3.25.05 @ 11:53PM|#

Q. Why Did the Bureaucrat Cross the Road?

A. I'm sorry, sir. I'm not authorized to answer that question. You may wish to direct your query to our Public Affairs office, though the PA director is out of the building today, at a conference of his professional group*.

....three weeks later.....

The PA officer: I'm sorry, sir, but that is a Personnel matter, and I can't comment on it.
....Yes, if you file a FOIA request, there is a chance we will have to tell you. Where can our process server reach you?

Kevin

* 5 days in Vegas, on your dime.

|3.27.05 @ 2:00AM|#

On the highway between Urbana and Normal, there are a number of signs for GunsSaveLife.com, written in Burma-shave style poetry. I think they greatly enhance an otherwise excruciatingly boring drive.