Yellow Pages Industry Counterpunches Seattle
During the run up to passage of the strict Yellow Pages opt-in ordinance in Seattle last month, the Yellow Pages industry made it clear that it felt it had a strong argument that the legislation was unconstitutional.
Yesterday the industry followed through on that not even thinly veiled threat and filed a lawsuit claiming the ordinance violated the industry’s first amendment rights, as well as interfered with the interstate commerce clause and breached the privacy rights of Seattle citizens.
Go yellow pages. Who does the city council think they are trying to restrict commerce under the veil of saving our environment. This is nothing more than an additional tax on free enterprise. It’s just like any other tax. As soon as the people say it’s ok to impose a burden on one industry the door is open to burden newspaper, direct mail and on and on from there. Let freedom ring… free speech and free enterprise is a part of the American way.