My neighbor just stuck a series of 8 "Elect so-and-so" signs along his frontage. Equally spaced out with about 20 feet between each.
It looks like hell and in my opinion, is a real eyesore and drags down the look of the neighborhood.
This is a case where I believe there should be an ordinance of some kind that only allows for one sign per candidate, complete with size restrictions or pay a fine.
I'm all for expressing your opinion...but does anyone really think they are going to change someone's vote by the number of signs they can cram into their yard for a certain candidate? I doubt it.
And here's another good one: A guy that lives about 3 miles away is a huge Budweiser fanatic. He's probably an alcoholic. He has a statue in his front yard of the Budweiser Clydesdale team of horses and stagecoach. He also has a street sign stuck in his yard with "Bud St on one side and Busch" or something to that effect on the other. Then, once or twice a year he has a beer bash where he literally nails beer related tin signs all over his garage till the front is almost completely covered.
It's weird the things some people place in importance...but eveny stranger when they advertise it in excess to all their neighbors chagrin.
Anyone else have "Charlie the Tuna" neighbors....you know, the ones with "bad taste"? Hehehe.
Posted by Shane French (Member # 2098) on :
quote: I'm all for expressing your opinion...but does anyone really think they are going to change someone's vote by the number of signs they can cram into their yard for a certain candidate? I doubt it.
I don't. That's exactly why they do it. Unfortunately, it works.
-shane
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
It's funny these people once elected, will legislate all sorts of sign ordinances, but for their own campaigns they go unrestricted.
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Sign codes are a good thing til people abuse them ...have you ever noticed that you and I are regulated to death and the people like the ones you speak of are never affected?
We have a big time attorney in our town that has the most illegal sign in town...he knew it when he did it and he has refused to remove it ...it's been up for over ten years now and has no intentions of being removed.
Here is the real problem...when you or I are licensed with the city we (or I do at any rate) have to provide a bond and pay a licensing fee...what this means is I can longer install any sign without a permit...if I do my bond is up for grabs and in effect I can be put out of buisness (due to the lack of licensing)...now if some one comes from out of town (or a person installs their own) and ignores the rules the city can't touch them because they have no bond to attach.
I know this to be a fact as I have discussed it with city officials and they have confirmed it.
The most interesting thing about this phenom is ..."If you belong to their club...pay your annual dues and post a bond...you can be punished" "Don't join the club and you have free reign".
Oh did I mention our mayor has an illegal sign on one of his properties...I just wonder how hard it would be to get my next permit if I registered a complaint.
To make it short there is nothing wrong with the ordinances...it's the people "manipulating and interpreting them".
Posted by John Deaton III (Member # 925) on :
Here, they adopted the only sign ordinance we have. You cant place a sign anywhere on the Department of Highways right of way. Thats 60 feet from the edge of the road. Few years back, without notice, the highway workers went around with chain saws cutting down signs on the right of way. I had alot of repairs to do. This was all without notice, and was brought upon by exactly what Todd was talking about. Overzealous politicians. I have often wondered too Todd, why people who drink beer, like to brag about it, or advertise free for the beer companies. Heck, if you like beer, thats cool, but why tell the whole world? Bud tshirt, bud hat, bud lamp, bud dorags,etc. Its like, Hey, I drink beer! Yeah! I like it too! Yeah! Gonna tattoo the bud logo on my butt! Yeah! I dont get it....
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Lol....most sign ordinances exempt political election signs! They use the "Free Speech" argument! If you or I try to use it, it now becomes "commercial advertising" !
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
In our "new" yet to be approved ordinance it will state that political signs can go up 60 days prior to the election and must be down within ten days after. Nothing was mentioned about the amount of signs in the yard. I can still bring this one up. Good idea.
We had a rule in there that specified that a construction project (like building a new school) could only have one 4' x 8' sign that listed all of the contractors on the one panel.
Now, there is a special section that mentions "contractor" signs. Only one per contractor is allowed on a job site (like building a house). This was changed after I questioned the first part to the local banker that chaired the sign ordinance committee. I asked about all of the local contractors in town that are able to work due to HIS bank financing. The bank ALSO usually places a sign on the larger or more prominent projects listing that they financed the project. One per contractor... let's see, General contractor, drywaller, plumber, electrician, roofer, the deck builder, cement and foundation guys, landscapers... on and on. What a change. The chair made the change, thank you. Not me.
I've also noticed that the political guys seem to be sticking a majority of signs on a corner/stop sign intersection. Sometimes the property is the crappiest looking place in town and you wonder if that guy even votes! Marketing. That's the ticket.
Posted by Steve Burke (Member # 2674) on :
In our last municipal election we had a party called the Marijuana Party (guess what their platform was..) try to get in. They didn't get good advertising because their logo was a weed plant, so people were stealing all of their signs!! Posted by Bill Modzel (Member # 22) on :
I must confess. We print election signs, thousands of them. I like to say we make a profit every four years, well, lets just say we upgrade equipment every four years.
A year or two ago we had a special city commission election. The candidates agreed that they wouldn't put out any yardsigns, some kind of "keep it green" thing.
After the election two of the canditates, (former customers of mine), came into the shop. They simply stated that the moratorium on the yardsigns was a big mistake. The well financed politicians could afford the newspaper and radio adds. The others could not. Signs gave them the most bang for their buck and they just couldn't afford to run an aggressive campain against the big money folks.
Posted by VICTORGEORGIOU (Member # 474) on :
Personally I like campaign signs, legally or illegally placed, 60 days before and 10 days after an election. Out here, candidates have to sign an agreement with the state that the state can remove any signs still up ten days after the election and send the bill to the candidate. Our Town tries to get candidates to sign an agreement not to use signs, but at the same time they largely look the other way around election time unless the signs are really egregious.
Anything that reminds people an election is coming up is basically good. It's nice to see voter enthusiasm, even when it is overdone. It's only two months every two years. The real crime IMO is the low voter turnout for important elections. Vic G
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Thanks for the input...I personally don't mind political signs...but it grates on me when someone like my neighbor feels it's necessary to put gobs of them in his yard....
Oh, by the way...the number has changed...I have now counted 11 signs in his yard spaced out along the roadway.
I feel like making a sign in my yard of a big "pointer" hand aimed at his house saying, "overbearing weiner". But that wouldn't be nice...so I'll just wait till the election is over. :-(
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Hey todd,
I can understand your frustration. To get a sense of whatever, just put up an equal amount of signs touting your neighbor's candidate's opponent. Heck, Make'em even bigger. The "overbearing weiner" thing was funny, too.
Have a great one!
Posted by Jeffrey Vrstal (Member # 2271) on :
NOW IS THE TIME to hit your customers up with this idea. A guy came to me several years ago, obviously ticked about the same issue... too many of these political signs. He owned a welding shop. His name was HICKS. He had 5 or so signs made - red,white and blue that said "HICKS FOR WELDING". Sticks them out every year.
Posted by Todd Gill (Member # 2569) on :
Hahaha...good ones Bruce & Jeff. He's a nice enough guy, but he's fanatical about everything he does....just doesn't consider things before going gangbusters.
Oh well, too bad everyone's not as perfect as me! I guess that's what makes life interesting, eh?
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I guess that's what makes life interesting, eh?