Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Beer Buses and Trains OK To Roll Says Charlotte City Council

From the Charlotte Observer:

The Charlotte City Council Monday objected to a recent decision by the city’s transit system to allow alcohol advertisements on the outside of buses and trains, and asked that future beer and liquor ads be stopped. In need of more revenue, the Metropolitan Transit Commission in June voted unanimously to allow alcohol ads on Charlotte Area Transit System vehicles and trains.


Olaf Kinard, who is the CATS marketing manager, said two contracts for alcohol ads have already been signed by Titan Advertising. Those ads could make their debut on buses and trains next week – in time for the Democratic National Convention.

The MTC was created in the late 1990s to govern CATS and how the half-cent sales tax for mass transit is spent. The city has two members on the MTC – City Manager Curt Walton and Mayor Anthony Foxx.

Foxx said he didn’t attend the June meeting when the alcohol policy was approved.

Cedar's Take: Mayor Foxx didn't attend the meeting, and didn't bother to read the minutes of the meeting he missed where Curt "The Clown" Walton voted in favor of the beer and liquor ads on buses.

What the hell?

In a city that is constantly trying to prove how progressive and forward thinking we are and how we stack up against bigger cities our Mayor Foxx again fails to fulfill his role as an elected leader.



Where was Anthony Foxx when Charlotte fell off the wagon?

During Monday's City Council meeting Democrat David Howard said he was strongly against the advertising adding that he envisioned buses that look like the Coors Light “bullet train” .

Mr. Howard you don't need to "envision" because when Phoenix, Arizona amended its advertising policy in September of last year, Coors Light was the first alcohol advertiser and five train wraps were included with a contract signed by the city.
 

Here is a small sample of transit systems that prohibit beer and liquor ads on buses and trains:

Chicago Transit Authority
Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Golden Gate Transportation District
Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
Alameda Contra Costa Transit District
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Los Angeles County, Metropolitan Transport Authority
City & County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services
Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority
King County Seattle Metro Transit Division\ Metropolitan
Transit Authority of Harris County Texas (Houston area)
Miami-Dade Transit Orange County Transportation Authority

Cedar Posts assumes the Mayors of the above cities actually attend the meetings where liquor ads are voted on.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Colt 45 buses will make the Detroit-upon-the-Catawba comparision even more realistic.
And why is the Mayor on a board if he's not going to even pay attention to the matter at hand? If all city employees have the same attitude as Foxx, our city is truly doomed.

Anonymous said...

This is what has become of Charlotte. We have elected officials who don't even attend meetings.

Recall the council members who claimed to know nothing about giving Rodney Monroe and Curt Walton "Cart Blanc" with regards to spending the DNC2012 50 Million.

Just more of the same!

Anonymous said...

Foxx is only in it for himself. He'll stand with whoever will pad his pockets or pave his path to a seat in congress.

Anonymous said...

Last time I checked alcohol was a legal product and we royally fucked up the country last time we tried banning it. You either support free speech and free enterprise or you don't.

Anonymous said...

I don't think you can claim that beer ads are protected by free speech. At least not in the same sense as protesting or preaching on a street corner is protected.

This little difference is what is called commercial speech. Which is why we don't have to watch condom ads during the dinner hour on CNN.

Anonymous said...

Cedar I don't think City Council as a whole was very pleased with the news. It really does make them look like potted plants as you and Jeff Taylor like to say.

Clearly they need to throttle Curt Walton and the MTC.

As far the Mayor goes, he just signed his own death warrant. A no show at a meeting and his rant about increasing taxes he has got to go.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you expect the Mayor to show up for meetings or read what he is voting about. Shelfish. Unrealistic. He has been very busy picking out sucking-up outfits to try to spend our local tax money to make his way to Washington.

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