Wolf money pot

Big Fin

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I have been thinking about writing on this topic since it was first mentioned here and when I first saw the wolf billboard ad on Highway 20, between Idaho Falls and Rexburg. Thought I would do a little bit more research before giving my thoughts on this very desperate attempt by groups who have lost in legal courts, the court of regional public opinion, and in the court of wildlife management.

One of the conspirators of this projectwolf.org operation is The Center for Biological Diversity, based in Tucson, AZ. Also one of the drive-by litigators in the wolf debate over the last decade. A group who has perfected turning wildlife controversy into money for salaries and attorneys, while putting none of it into the ground for conservation.

Also the same organization who posted an online petition to have me removed from TV and whose email blast to their membership resulted in hundreds of death wishes for me, my family, and my dogs. Suffice to say, I have no use for them or their tactics.

As some had posted previously, a group called projectwolf.org, lead by CBD and joined by others of the same ilk, have purchased advertising on billboards with Lamar Outdoor Advertising on all roads leading to Yellowstone National Park.

Nothing wrong with any group exercising their rights to free speech. Nothing wrong with a business make risk assessments as to who they want as their customers. That is the greatness of America.

And likewise there is nothing wrong with sane people contacting Lamar to express their displeasure that Lamar would sell this billboard space to groups who have been so detrimental to the cause of state wolf management authority. That they would sell to a group who has no regard for the deal that was promised to the citizens of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming almost 20 years ago – that being state management control.

Easy for groups in Tucson, AZ and their urbanite bank rolls to continue these efforts. Converting wildlife into to cash cows is how they make their money – “cuddly conservation.” Harder to understand why businesses would consciously dip into the wolf money pot by doing business with the CBD crowd.

A Lamar GM stated in an email to a concerned Wyoming citizen when asked about these billboards …..

......We cannot regulate who can or can't advertise but we can, and do, regulate content. I admit this ad was pushing the limit but myself and GM's in 2 other states felt it wasn't too offensive to run………..I appreciate your concern and hope you understand that we're the middle men in this process ……..

Really? Middle men?

A middle man usually is in the middle by no choice of his own. This seems to be a choice, considered and decided upon, based on business risks and benefits. One risk probably not adequately assessed would be a bunch of PO'd hunters and business owners in the Northern Rockies.

I have built and operated many businesses. You can regulate who your customers are. At a minimum, you can regulate content. Well, you can do those, if you want to. Just a matter of whether or not you really want to, or if the financial benefits are worth the decision made. Simple business management.

You only become the middle man, if you let yourself be the middle man. Like most business issues, it is a deliberate decision that will make you a middle man, or not.

I have many friends and clients in the business world here in the Northern Rockies. I will make sure they know that Lamar is more than willing to make the business decision that pays them to a "middle man" in a debate that goes far beyond the revenue from three billboards.

Many of the folks I know advertise on outdoor billboards. Hopefully they will look at who they are advertising with and decide if that fits into their business philosophy. I know some have already made those inquiries today.

I hope some here know a list of other businesses that have outdoor billboards. Feel free to list those businesses here.

I have tired of people and businesses using the excuses of convenience. I make decisions every day about who I want to do business with. Those decisions form the identity of my businesses and my brands. Yeah, sometimes those decisions leave money on the table, but if my businesses are to be part of the community in which I live, making those decisions comes with the territory.

Thank God we live in a country where we can exercise our freedom of speech by purchasing billboard drama, selling billboards to those wanting to make a stir, and by letting businesses know we are not pleased with certain decisions. What a country.

Here are contacts at Lamar, if you are so incined to let them know your disappointment that a national business would take fees to become the "middle man" in this issue, something they admit was possibly pushing the limits from the beginning.

Regional GM - [email protected]
Phone – (307) 234-917

National Business Development Director (let her know how good these groups are for business development):

[email protected]


For contact information of all Lamar offices, here is a page with all of them.http://lamar.com/Contact

Thanks for your assistance in this effort. Businesses need to know their positions and actions have impact on others.

A pic of the Cody, Wyoming billboard.

Lamar.jpg

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS POST ON ANY SITE OR ANY SOCIAL MEDIA YOU WANT.
 
Well, I can assure you the comment about them not being able to regulate who or what they put on THEIR billboards is the biggest chicken$H!t comment they could have made. Every billboard owner has the right to decide who they want to allow to use their space. But as many people already know, Lamar has always been strictly about money, this being a great example of that. They have also always had complete disregard for regulations in this state as well as other states. They somehow feel that because they are one of the largest sign companies in the country, that rules only apply to the small companies, and not them. So, its sure good to know that people can see now very openly in MT, ID, and WY that Lamar supports organizations such as this. I wonder if they realize they are supporting people who were continually sending hate mail, making threats, and making hate emails and actually wishing death upon many good people.

Lamar had a choice here. Take the money and support an organization that would rather see human beings die than proper predator management, or spend 5 minutes of thier time to actually think it through. Hey some people just can't see past the money.

And considering some of the efforts Lamar has done in the past to intentionally drive out small, local, family owned companies, I am not suprised at their actions here one bit.

And by the way, I know there are many, many small businesses and business owners in the states of MT, ID, and WY that currently have advertising with Lamar. As Big Fin mentioned above, I hope that all of those people who are putting money in Lamar's pockets know that there are MANY other companies they could do business with instead. Many are smaller, LOCAL, Family operated businesses that don't have the big "corporate mentality".

Once again, it's all about the money to some......what an absolute pathetic excuse they had....
 
No wolves were killed in Yellowstone by man. National Park and all.;)

Oh man, yeah, that's embarrassing. wow.....

my point (thanks SS) is that the claim is those are wolves coming out of Yellowstone and I wouldn't put it past groups like projectwolf or their partner, FootlooseMT, to "borrow" some pictures for the sake of public shock an' awe.
 
I kinda like seeing a picture of dead wolves :D

just trying to find the positive in this :rolleyes:
 
Pretty bad display of advertising. Since I will be working in the park this summer and around the public from out of the area, it will be interesting to see who says anything about it.
 
This email just landed in my inbox:
From: Korbe Palmer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, May 03, 2013 11:05 AM
To: Randy Newberg
Subject: Re: Billboards sold to projectwolf.org

I wanted to personally let you know that Lamar has decided to terminate the contract for the wolf billboard and remove the copy. For expedience, we have contracted with a local party to have the copy taken down today. Thank you for understanding our impartial role in this matter. Circumstances developed that supported Lamar taking this action.




Regards,

Korbe Palmer
GM/VP Plants 238/775
Lamar Outdoor Advertising

Good for Lamar. Thanks to all who exercised their freedom of speech.
 
Just sent Mr. Palmer a thank you email for their decision to remove the signage. I would hope others would do the same from across the country so they see how far reaching things like this become nowadays with the speed of the net!
 
This email was just received from Mr. Palmer:

Michael,
I do want to confirm one thing...I operate WY and W. NE and have agreed to remove the sign in Cody. I don't have control over what is done with the signs in MT or ID.

Regards,
Korbe Palmer
GM/VP Plants 238/775
Lamar Outdoor Advertising
T - (307) 234-9107
F - (307) 266-5519
[email protected]
 
This email was just received from Mr. Palmer:

Michael,
I do want to confirm one thing...I operate WY and W. NE and have agreed to remove the sign in Cody. I don't have control over what is done with the signs in MT or ID.

Regards,
Korbe Palmer
GM/VP Plants 238/775
Lamar Outdoor Advertising
T - (307) 234-9107
F - (307) 266-5519
[email protected]

Good to know. I guess it is time to put the pressure on the MT and ID folks and see if they will do the same thing as their Wyoming counterparts.
 
I kinda like seeing a picture of dead wolves :D

just trying to find the positive in this :rolleyes:

Maybe they could keep the pic if they borrowed from the old lawyer joke and changed the text to "A Good Start"... ;)

I like the word choice in Korbe's email to Randy: "circumstances developed." Yes, taking a fire storm of an ass beating in public opinion could be considered a developing circumstance.

Well done. If you have a platform and didn't use it, well, that would make you like about 99% of other people. Personally, I'm real glad you're a one-percenter.
 
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