WE Did IT!

Those distracting, condescending, ridiculous highway signs are GONE!!!

You know, the ones that tell you to "Wash your Hands" "Stay home, save lives" "Cover your face and mouth"...

They are ILLEGAL and not to be tolerated!!

And now they are GONE, thanks to many of THE HEALTHY AMERICANS like you who took action and wrote to the federal and state transportation agencies to inform them that these signs were NOT allowed, according to the rules of these transportation agencies.

This is just one of the official messages received from CALTRANS:

"Good morning,

Effective immediately and until further notice, Caltrans is only using our permanent Changeable Message Signs to display traffic-related emergency notifications, AMBER alerts, incidents, major closures or travel times.

During other times the Changeable Message Sign must be turned off (be dark). We will not be running our Changeable Message Signs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Caltrans District 11 – Public Information Office

619-688-6670"

NOTE: If you are still seeing those ridiculous messages, that means YOU need to write to your state and county transportation authorities. There is an excellent letter below that you can copy or adapt.

These highway flashing signs are called "Changeable Message Signs" or CMS.

The purpose of these signs is to inform motorists of ROAD HAZARDS -- not to compel people to undertake individual health behaviors.

You might think challenging these highways signs is frivolous, not important compared to masks, testing and vaccines, and not worth taking the time to do anything about.

I beg to differ.

YOUR voice is important in ALL things related to the government and its affect on your life.

How many thousands of people have complained about these signs... but have done nothing about it?! 

Complaining gets NOTHING done, and only makes you feel worse.

The reason getting rid of these CMS messages is so crucial is because:

(1) Taking action EMPOWERS you and gets you engaged and educated about what it going on that affects your life

(2) These agencies are RESPONDING to your action

(3) These agencies are now AWARE that we are on to them and they many not try to impose such nonsense on us again

(4) It is a visible sign that we CAN make a difference!

(5) I do not have to have my blood boil driving past those ridiculous signs.

The letter below details ALL of the rules related to road signs -- and they are NOT to be used to impose individual health behaviors.

In fact, if there is no road hazard, the signs are required to be dark/blank.

That's GREAT NEWS to me!!

My video yesterday mentions this good news briefly, along with my explanation of HOW I SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES

Link is here: https://youtu.be/_0SP4ZPgqcA

Interestingly, youtube is erasing my view count. Yesterday, this video had over 7,500 views and now it shows less than 5,000. V-e-r-y... i-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-i-n-g

I want to help these businesses understand the guidelines, orders and ordinances -- and how to stay "Open for Good"

That's why I'm running an in-person educational forum and expert panel especially for small businesses in Orange County.

SMALL BUSINESS FORUM & EXPERT PANEL

WHAT: "Open for Business" in-person event

DATE: Thursday, August 27, 2020

TIME: 6:30 - 8:30 pm (come at 6:00 for informal networking)

LOCATION: Lake Forest, CA (exact location will be provided day of the event)

DESCRIPTION: If you're confused or concerned about the ever-changing government edicts and guidelines, get your questions answered! Learn how to "Stay Open for Good". Find out if you can get fined, what to do if you get a violation, what is the law enforcement response, and much more. Hear from other small business owners and get support and encouragement to operate legally -- without turning you or your business inside out and upside down.

COST: $125 donation, which goes into a legal fund to support fines and citations, if needed. (Let us know if you are unable to cover the cost as we do have limited scholarships available.) 

Limited seats available.

Presented by THE HEALTHY AMERICAN and other community leaders.

CLICK HERE NOW TO REGISTER for the BUSINESS FORUM

Link is here: bit.ly/3ao5RZK

This "maiden voyage" is an in-person event, and we plan to offer the educational seminars on-line as well for those in any area.


NOTICE OF VIOLATION
Coming soon!! This will be in my very next email.

(Just a note that I am doing all the research, video production, website updates, emails, phone calls, rallies, speaking at events, preparing documents -- on my own!)

I do have the amazing Shawnee helping me sort the emails, and many wonderful HEALTHY AMERICANS in their own communities -- but all of the CONTENT CREATION is done by me alone -- on a volunteer basis!! 

So thank YOU for your patience and understanding, and for those who support this important work!

with an ocean of gratitude,

Peggy
www.TheHealthyAmerican.org

P.S. Here is an excellent and detailed letter that got the job done here in CA to get rid of those signs!

 

ATTN: Person(s) Responsible for Highwy Changeable Message Sign Announcements

Organization: State Transportation and/or other State of Federal Agencies

Notice to Agent is Notice to Principal; Notice to Principal is Notice to Agent

To whom it may concern,

I, [.......] a resident of [.......] formally request that the Transportation Authority immediately cease and remove any announcements related to COVID-19, the wearing of masks, social distancing, or other similar related announcements. I based my request on the following reasons and Federal and State policy and procedures that specifically limits how these signs can and should be used, and what type of announcements can be made on them, to wit:

1. In the  Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ( MUTCD) it notes what type of messages should be displayed in the CMS network:

 Changeable message signs have a large number of applications including, but not limited to, the following:

A. Incident management and route diversion

B. Warning of adverse weather conditions

C. Special event applications associated with traffic control or conditions

D. Control at crossing situations

E. Lane, ramp, and roadway control

F. Priced or other types of managed lanes

G. Travel times

H. Warning situations

I. Traffic regulations

J. Speed control

K. Destination guidance

As can be seen by this listing, the primary reason for these signs is to advise motorists of matters related to traffic as well as other limited uses.

These signs are now continually broadcasting COVID-19-related messages, presently with a focus on covering your face and nose with masks. This is an improper use of the CMS system and limits the traffic-related information that is the main purpose of these signs and what freeway travelers expect to see on the road. This practice must stop immediately, as it is unjustified and unauthorized.

“CMS shall not: … Provide information that is already obvious to the motorist.”

If we apply the directive above to the current COVID-19 emergency, it is obvious that there is not a single resident or visitor in the state that is not aware of this, as COVID-19 messages play continuously on all TV and radio stations, so any person with a TV or a home and/or automobile radio, would be well informed both on the COVID-19 situation as well as the precautions one is supposed to follow to stop the spread.

There is no need for the CMS messages on COVID-19 because everyone was aware of them and are consistently bombarded with such information. She disagreed and said that people in rural communities could potentially not be aware of the COVID-19 emergency, but that makes absolutely no sense, in that, even if we were to imagine that some individuals don’t have TVs or radios, it is obvious that some of their family members, neighbors and friends do and would have discuss this situation, not to mention that such person would still be shopping, putting gas in their cars, going to restaurants, churches, family and friend gatherings, clothing stores, and would probably also use medical services, all of which would have not only signs about COVID and required precautions, but they would see most people wearing masks. Are we to assume that such a person would not ask questions as to what was going on in the last 5 months?

3. The primary reason for my request that the COVID-19 messages cease is because I see motorists in their vehicles with masks on, in some cases using highly air-restrictive masks like N19, with their windows up, and considering that a study of the University of Washington Institute for Health estimated that in 2015 nearly 7% of all deaths in the United States were due to chronic respiratory illness, imagine how many people have respiratory problems in general, children and adult. These people should not be wearing masks because of their medical condition, as noted in the Public Health guidelines on facial coverings, which is reflected in our county and city orders across the state.

The problem is, the CMS messages are not telling people that there are medical and other exemptions that apply regarding wearing masks, which is something we never hear our health authorities mention in their press conferences or in general on TV and radio commercials, even though it is in their own orders, putting these sick persons’ health and lives on the line, as well as the lives of drivers in their cars around them in traffic situations. The CMS text message may say to “wear a mask”, but the implied message is “wear your mask ALWAYS, REGARDLESS.”

4. The improper use of the CMS messages on COVID-19 for prolonged or continued messaging on mask and other related slogans are further depriving drivers from important traffic information that affects their daily commute, all contrary to the intent of the CMS program, including information on travel times, warning situations, weather and destination guidance, among other things.

Therefore, based on the above, I request the following,

(a) That the Transportation Authority contact me by phone or email to confirm receipt of this formal request for COVID-19-related messages to be removed from the CMS system and future ones cancelled.

(b) That the Transportation Authority and any other involved agencies, state or federal, immediately stop announcing any COVID-19-related messages.

(c) That the Transportation Authority respond in writing to this formal request. If Transportation Authority will stop all further transmissions of COVID-19-related message, please advise when that will begin. If the TransportationAuthority refuses to remove such COVID-19 messages, that TransportationAuthority provide findings of fact and conclusions of law for such actions, which would appear to be arbitrary and capricious, and an abuse of discretion and authority.

(d) In the alternative, if Transportation Authority continues to make COVID-19-related messages, FOR PUBLIC HEALTH REASONS, that Transportation Authority includes messages in the CMS system advising the public of the exemptions available to them as regards wearing a mask.

(e) If my request is denied, that Transportation Authority provide me all necessary information regarding requests for reconsideration and/or appeal procedures to challenge such a decision.

There is no need for people to be further bombarded in freeways and street with messages that result in fear, anguish, desperation and nervousness, which is affecting the driver’s health and his ability to be concentrating on the road and driving safety from point A to point B.

Sincerely,

[.....]