Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:22:23 -0700 (PDT)
From: stephanie talbott
Subject: UGH! campaign signs again
I do not typically agree with Steve Candelori, but with regard to campaign signs, I am on the same sheet of music. Yes, it is illegal to remove them, unless of course, grass roots lobbying facilitates changes in the law.
In an age of mass communication and technological access to political messages and campaign activity, campaign signs seem a primitive vestige of the past and at best a seasonal ritual that has outlived its purpose. I liken them to legal roadside litter.
If they really generated any votes by virtue of name identification (and the voter’s failure to learn anything more about the candidate other than their name), would we not expect to see some voting write-ins for “singles.com“, or other unidentified junk posted along with campaign signs?
I recall assurances in the past of county efforts to “police” the removal of campaign signs in the legally required time limits following a campaign. Rick Givens… if anyone remembers him… had a campaign sign for years after his campaign, posted on the DOT fence line of highway 64, near the Rt. 87 exit.
The timing of our election season matches that of our growing season. As the grass grows in the spring, so do the volumes of signs. DOT typically mows the road right-a-ways just about the end of election season (peak sign season), and remaining signs get chopped into small bits of litter. In 2-4 years, we’ll do it again, and we’ll talk about it again. So much for change and “progress”.
As a taxpayer concerned about our limited resources to address pressing issues in out county, I do find it annoying (at the least) and fiscally irresponsible to allocate resources to policing roadside clutter, litter, signage, etc. when these rituals are possibly outdated and immaterial to current-day elections. However, I’ve not run for an office, so I have no idea what purpose campaign signs serve for those campaigning. I would welcome a campaign platform that advocates outlawing campaign signs!
Nevertheless, campaign signs remain a tried and true topic of discussion for the Chatlist!
Stephanie
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