Congress...You Betrayed Us: Billboard, Las Cruces, NM

Workers with Lamar Outdoor Advertising install a billboard Wednesday paid for by a group opposed to the health-care reform bill and what members say is government overspending. The billboard, off Interstate 10 near the Chaparral exit, will remain in place through November. (Sun-News photo by Norm Dettlaff)

Billboard decries health-care legislation A group of residents is taking its message opposing federal health-care legislation to commuters. The group, calling itself Concerned Citizens of Las Cruces, has paid for a billboard to be installed near the Anthony-Chaparral exit off Interstate 10. The sign went up Wednesday. Las Crucen Sam DeArment said the idea originated after he and a friend received an e-mail about similar billboards in other parts of the country. He said they decided one way to try to influence this year's general election would be to install a billboard locally. So DeArment and Las Crucen Betty Russell began collecting donations, and, before long, they'd raised enough to produce the image and rent billboard space through Nov. 2, Russell said. In all, she said, about $5,700 was raised for the rental, mostly during March. The group, made up of about 40 to 50 people, explained its view in an e-mail: "We know that the national deficit is already unsustainable and will be paid for with significant and permanent new taxes," they wrote. "Our children and grandchildren will be paying for the big government that current politicians are creating."...more

The committee rejected my idea, which is below: