Banner battle lost, but war goes on

There are just some battles that are best forfeited.

One such battle was the city’s law prohibiting banner towing

planes from flying over the city.

While we empathize with residents’ aggravation and concern over

noise and safety issues, the fight to keep the law on the books had

become one the city could not win.

The Center for Bio-ethical Reform, the anti-abortion group

claiming its 1st Amendment rights were being violated by the law, was

an adversary the city might have been able to take, but the Federal

Aviation Administration was a much more worrisome foe.

When the FAA brought forward an amended regulation that made it

clear that it, and not the city of Huntington Beach, controls the

airspace above the city, it was time to back down.

The city’s depleted city coffers are already a point of concern

for many residents and elected officials.

The City Council was wise to repeal the law, rather than waste

taxpayer money on a losing battle -- not to mention the public

embarrassment of losing a case that had already gained wide

attention.

It should be considered a battle lost, but there is no need to

bail out of the war. The issue need not just die. The council should

continue to seek a way to address residents’ concerns about the

airborne summertime visitors.

Since the council has backed down and deferred to the FAA, perhaps

it should sit down with the federal agency and try to work out an

amicable solution. If the FAA is regulating the planes, perhaps the

FAA would exert control over the altitude and flight paths.

If that doesn’t work, perhaps the city could sit down with the

aerial advertising companies and hash out a possible solution. It is

time for diplomacy.