I will agree that putting a tag up on a wall doesn't mean that you own it. But there are definitely walls that people have owned by rocking a straight letter or whatever and maintaining the spot for years, taking it back from the buff and the haters and toys, and staying on top.

I'm glad you're making paper doing murals, get in where you fit in. But when you're painting a spot you have to realise that there's a history and a culture in that neighborhood and on those walls. You might be covering up a memorial or one of the last running tags from a writer who's died.

I have some friends who make pretty good money doing murals in the bay area, but they all put in a lot of work and made their name with illegal graffiti long before they started taking commissions. Shit still gets ragged sometimes, it's just a part of the game.

Bottom line, the whole point of graffiti is getting your name up and holding down your spots. Respect is earned on the streets. Getting paid to paint is cool, but if your'e not respected in the game your gonna get gone over. People fight, steal, go to jail, and die for this shit. It might just be a commission to you, but it might be another aspect of gentrification to someone who grew up on that block.

I'm not advocating for every legal mural to get bombed, just trying to provide some insight on why it may happen. There's a reason Dan Plasma got run out of sf. There was a message behind the fills dissing Obey on the Bowery wall. There are so many spots that were pioneered by bombers, and held down for years before getting the buff and mural treatment. If you have any history in the illegal graffiti scene you should already know the deal.

I hope your legal spots run for a long time and you make a good living doing something creative, but you have to remember that there's a culture and history to this sport and you have to fight to hold down your spot, legal or illegal.