Tags
dallas, first amendment, government corruption, government regulation, institute of justice, personal property, property rights
First it was a city ordinance that restricted the sorts of signage a business could use (conveniently, this only apply to small businesses.) This includes things like hanging your hours of operation on your door. Then it was a $300,000 fine for daring to take the city to court over this intrusion into personal property.
The ordinance specifies that no sign may appear in the upper two-thirds portion of any window or glass door. In the space that remains, signage may not take up more than 15 percent of the available window space. The ordinance carefully carves out an exemption for artistic and political speech. So a gigantic “Vote Obama” sign is acceptable, but one that states “20 percent off on Wednesdays” is not.
I’m surprised they didn’t use the SWAT team to enforce the ordinance; they could have blown out the offending windows to cost the proprietors more money. Many handcuffed, tasered, or just shot a “threatening” customer?
This is our new America…enjoy the change.
(Looks like the Institute of Justice is getting involved in this. Let’s hope their excellent track record of protecting our rights holds and this law is struck down.)
