City of Los Angeles sued over bid to bar patriotic mural

The Associated Press ^ | 10/23/2001 | The Associated Press

[Shermy]

Sorry folks, this guy is a fraud, with several strikes against him.

The wall is on a building in the Westwood district, on Wilshire Blvd. facing the Federal Building. Three or four years ago he put up an advertisement for a movie. He had no permit, and tried to get none. It was taken down after weeks of hassle, notably when the movie left the theater circuit.

A few years ago he tried it again. And Again. He was charged, and while charges pending he put up a patriotic, uncommercial poster regarding veterans (you can see it from the VA cemetery), wrapped himself in the flag, and screamed 1st Amendment. He was convicted, appealed, and some deal was made to allow this non-commercial poster to remain.

But then he put up a poster for the movie "Pearl Harbor", which he was paid for. Complaints came, he cried patriotism.

About five months ago he, again without permits, put up an ad for a kiddie tv show on Disney or something. Again complaints came, and the local govt. made noise about lawsuits.

Since 911, while under pressure by the govt. he put up the two posters shown currently on his website. However, if you drive by the site, you can still see that the bright pink poster for the kiddie show is behind the patriotic one, peeking around the edges, ready for its future exposure. Here's an article recounting much (but not all) of the story:

McNeilly Link.

This link has a picture of the cheesy kiddie show ad of which I am speaking.

I like his patriotic, and I'm sorry if this info lets you down, but I'm a local and this guy has ticked me and a lot of other people off.

[Constantine XIII]

Perhaps it's a WWII era flag.

[rebdov]

ACLU: you can carry a sign and especially artsy things that say G-d Bless America, but if you say it a public building that is a controlled setting like a football game or a court trial, or kids in school that's a nono. So all kids need artful signs that say GBA.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Yes, he could have used a 55 year old flag with all of the rest being current events. Not knocking the picture. It's very nice. I would hope that he wold be accurate too.

Now that I think about it, another post said that he did a huge poster of the movie Pearl Harbor. It's probably a flag from that movie. Still, though, it's not our current flag and everythig else in the picture is from current events.

[Nitro]

Here is a little known secret!!

Those earthquakes are just Mother Earth trying to brush all those freaks off her back!!

[Nitro]

Good eye, I thought I was one of the few who noticed stuff like that!

I am especially aware of the 48 star flag as that was the "Official US Flag" at my birth!!

[Nitro]

Perhaps?

It was the flag up until 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union!!

Get "The History Channel!!!"

[Republicus2001]

McNeily has been putting up this mural for years...it is definitely NOT a billboard - after 40 years in L.A I know what a billboard is. it is art on private property, privated-financed and beautiful.

[MistyCA]

Well...I say the freepers ought to get busy and freep the mayor and the city council.

[brat]

WTG McNeilly! Win one for the victims!

[ikanakattara]

Los Angeles is *covered* with pro-Mexican graffiti art of all kinds, and no one does a thing about it. What the heck, they're already part of Mexico as it is.

[steve-b]

But on Sept. 21, the city ordered him to remove the mural, alleging he had violated 24 ordinances related to commercial signs.

Some Los Angeles ordinance violations committed by Mr. McNeilly:

* Failure to pay "administrative fees" to local DemocRats.
* Failure to include beatific representation of Hillary! smiling down upon the peasants.
* Failure to include a full ethnic mix in artistic represntation.
* Failure to properly describe the plight of the exploited workers.