((Some local drama, Petaluma is pretty well known in my area for having pothole filled roads. I read today that the mayor ended up turning down both offers))
Animal rights activists are clucking over Petaluma’s plans to allow the KFC restaurant chain to fix potholes in the city.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Tuesday the company sells “cruelly produced products” and should not be permitted to stencil its logo over repaired spots in the pavement.
Instead, PETA said the city should accept its offer of $6,000 — twice what KFC was promising — to do the job itself. The group proposes its own stencil — an image of KFC’s iconic founder, Colonel Sanders, with horns beside the message: “KFC tortures animals.”
“We think people would be upset to learn road repairs were a direct result of cruelty to chickens,” PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt said.
Late last week, KFC announced it had selected Petaluma and three other cities to receive pothole repair money under a national campaign to fix roads and promote the company.
KFC will send Petaluma a $3,000 check and a stencil for applying the “Re-Freshed by KFC” logo with temporary spray chalk. It asked the city to place the logo on at least one repaired pothole. The work will be completed in the next couple of weeks, KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said in an e-mail Tuesday.
Maynard said KFC is committed to the well-being and humane treatment of chickens. He wouldn’t comment on PETA’s counteroffer.
“We don’t comment on PETA’s activities as their reputation speaks for itself,” Maynard said.
Petaluma was chosen along with three other cities in Kansas, Ohio and Tennessee after the company received a request from Mayor Pam Torliatt, explaining the city’s dual reputation for chicken farming and tire-flattening potholes.
PETA responded with a letter to Torliatt on Monday, asking her to reconsider.
She didn’t return calls Tuesday but said in an e-mail that the city would stick with the KFC offer and forego participating in a “game of chicken over our pothole paving.”
The company will be allowed to place its stenciled logo on a single pothole in exchange for the money, she said.
“Diversity of opinion is well-respected by all in Petaluma and we appreciate that others, in addition to KFC, are concerned about helping revitalize our community,” she said.
Rajt said PETA was disappointed by Torliatt’s choice and hoped she would change her mind. PETA made the pothole counteroffer to the other cities but has yet to receive a response, Rajt said.
She said PETA has investigated firms that supply chickens to KFC and uncovered abuses. Activists have held more than 13,000 demonstrations nationwide, including a protest last year in Bakersfield in which Rajt picketed outside a restaurant in a bright yellow bikini and spiked heels, she said.
“I would think any Petaluma resident would want to double the money to attack potholes and would welcome an offer that wouldn’t have a corporate agenda,” Rajt said. “We hope the mayor will consider it and come back with an affirmative.”
Source: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090414/articles/904149954
melissa
It's kind of a sad day when Colonel Sanders can do more about preserving your car's alignment than, I don't know, your alderman?
1I also have to wonder if the dude in the picture is an actual full-time Colonel Sanders impersonator.
2I think of it as a classic example of PETA's MO: instead of actually doing something good for the community, they try to create shock value and ruin the good deed.
They could've just had their corporate logo spray painted on the fixed pothole. But instead they took a jab at KFC (who was just trying to do the good deed).
3Mmhmm. Exactly. I'm surprised they didn't somehow toss in the objectification of a woman on their little devil KFC stencils.
4Or a naked person.
Here's another update:
"Remember Pierre Miremont? He's the mirthful Petaluma businessman and anti-pothole crusader who, along with Tim "Animal" Sullivan, furtively painted bright yellow and red circles about Petaluma potholes years ago.
Miremont wrote Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt on Wednesday and offered to sweeten the pothole pot in the wake of the offers by Kentucky Fried Chicken and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Miremont's offer: He and Sullivan would pony up $5,000 for pothole repair. In return, Petaluma would allow each fixed pothole to be permanently stenciled with "Pothole Capital" or similar wording.
Miremont also seeks a promise that for each pothole fixed, an unfilled pothole will be ringed in yellow warning paint.
Mayor Torliatt's initial response was thanks, anyway. She told Miremont in an e-mail, "Your offer is clearly one that would create confusion and a distraction for motorists on the road.""
5Wow. Pothole drama!! It's cool that people/corportaions are at least trying to do something about it...I know on the south side of Chicago, people are just repairing them on their own. Crazy.
Also, I have to wonder--how much does it cost to fix potholes? As in, how far would that $3000 or $5000 go in terms of repair? Hmm...
6Truly pathetic, the whole lot of them.
7This is what happens in smallish cities. Argue about potholes!
And it would take a lot of money to repair all of the potholes in Petaluma. Some of the roads there are just atrocious.
8PETA needs to go back to their ranch and don't come out till they can be relevant again. I applaud KFC for giving back to these communitites. If these small towns don't have enough money to fix the roads, why not allow a business to foot the bill, for a little extra advertising?
9I'm with Dave here. I wouldn't argue if KFC or McD's wanted to come fix some roads around here.
10There goes PETA trying to hinder another good deed. I personally don't like KFC, but I like potholes even less. We are pretty good in my State about fixing potholes, but the State I grew up in was terrible.
11I heard a story on NPR about a town in Kentucky that allowed KFC to fill some of the town's potholes. Although I don't especially love seeing advertisements on every standing thing, I appreciate the thought and effort.
And I'm in agreement with what others said about PETA.
12Honestly I don't want either logo on the street, even if it is temporary. I'm sick to death of all the advertisements everywhere.
13I hear ya genesis. Although, a "Pothole Capital" logo would be pretty funny to see!
14Amy KFC chose a few cities, Petaluma being one of them. Although the mayor has now declined the offer because of PETA and the big hubub that was created.
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