True story from 2010: the day before Election Day, on the way dropping off my daughter at elementary school, I stuck a campaign sign for Barbara Boxer alongside of Brea Boulevard. (I had been helping run the Brown campaign, such as it was, here in OC, and since Boxer had had even less of one here I wanted to make a gesture on her behalf.) Up to and back from the school, five minutes tops, and I passed by the spot where I had posted the sign on my way home. Empty space. It took less than five minutes for someone to undo my three minutes of effort parking, walking, and posting it. That’s a pretty lousy ratio.
I paid more attention than usual this past spring to the ever-changing terrain of political campaign signs along the streets of North Orange County. As (full disclosure here!) a candidate myself this year, who like many others did not spend money on signs in an uncontested primary, I felt some pangs of regret at driving down the street noting the presence of the names of my fellow candidates but not mine. Three things helped to ease my sadness:
- Plenty of research shows that signs don’t matter — or as know-it-all consultants will opine, “signs don’t vote.” (My response to that last little witticism: neither do television ads and glossy mailers and slate doorhangers, but you don’t see people slagging them, eh?)
- The opponent in my race, State Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff, didn’t have signs up in my city of Brea either. He had one sign up forlornly hammered into a hillside nearly across from where Occupy Fullerton had set up its camp — in fact, as of last week it was still there — but that was it. Of course, people reported to me from the other places in the district that he had plenty of signs up elsewhere, but at least I didn’t have to look at them.
- Signs get stolen — a lot. Every day, now watching more closely than usual, I’d see the terrain change — sometimes by addition but often by subtraction. Even signs hung high would disappear.
I want to be frugal with the contributions of my donors, to treat them the way I’d want my own campaign donations to be treated. I find the notion of spending campaign money on something that’s barely going to last a day — or five minutes — offensive. This is especially a problem for Democrats in Republican-dominated areas, first because the minority is often going to face political opposition and second because, in my opinion, Republicans are more likely to bend or break the rules confident that they’ll be able to get away with it. (And someone noted recently on Facebook, if Obama had even $1 deposited in an account in the Cayman Islands, we’d never hear the end of it.)
I’ve never stolen a campaign sign in my life and have instructed campaign workers under my supervision that anyone in the campaign who ever did so they would be out on their butt in no time. Yet, somehow, some people get away with it routinely.
One “solution” to the problem of stolen signs is just to give in to the cruel vagaries of reality and just not buy signs. This is considered to be “unserious” — especially by the sign-printing companies who are constantly filling my inbox with pitches for me to buy signs, but also by observers who think that having signs up is the way to show people that you’re in the game. (Stealing those signs as quickly as possible is apparently a way for one’s opponent to demonstrate that you’re not in the game.)
I realize that this is a small problem compared to many of those addressed here and in other esteemed local blogs, but now being a candidate it irks me more than ever before. I have people sending me $5, $10, to show their solidarity — money that some of them can’t really afford. While I’m willing to take a chance spending it on flyers and mailers that may not be read by their intended recipients, I don’t like spending it on something that thugs can just rip off and throw away.
I don’t have a solution to offer right now — so I’m just opening the topic here for discussion. What are your experiences with posting campaign signs in OC? How long have they lasted? How quickly have they disappeared — and under how serious a set of conditions?
Beyond that, do you have any solutions in mind for this problem? It’s the legal right of candidates to put up signs, often specifically set by local ordinance, but we seem not to take this right that seriously. Signs are relatively cheap. If the main ways to reach voters turn out to be expensive glossy mailers and electronic ads rather than relatively inexpensive signs, that favors wealthier campaigns by taking away “the equalizer.” Isn’t that a problem?
City police I’ve spoken to say, reasonably enough, that enforcing the law is not a high priority. OK — but the effect of that means that candidates can’t reach voters through this relatively inexpensive means. If cities and counties can’t handle the problem, should we take it into our own hands?
I’ve literally had people suggest to me that signs should have webcams watching them at all times — recording or livestreamed — or GPS, or should be covered with hairspray to pick up fingerprints, or should be equipped with small fragile vials of skunk juice mixed with ultraviolet dye that would break when the signs were moved and mark the miscreants who stole them — but all of that seems extreme (as well as expensive.) Yet the default position — saying that “boys will be boys” and ignoring the suppression of free speech — doesn’t seem acceptable either. It may be a little thing, but it’s irritating and unfair.
I have been thinking about this for a while and I may a cheaper solution in mind, but before presenting it I want to read more about your experiences and opinions. (Note: “you’re not going to win anyway,” for those of you who like to tell me that, doesn’t really address the problem — and if you don’t think that this is a problem, you’re part of the problem.)
Like it or not, campaign signs and campaign paraphernalia (buttons, stickers, etc.) are an American tradition. While not particularly effective, it does had an aura of legitimacy to one’s candidacy.
We (like everyone else) had plenty of signs stolen in the recall campaign. Naturally this provoked suspicion and contempt, but in the end– they’re just signs. While a sign-thief is an individual who opposes everything that democracy stands for, a candidate who worries about the thief lets down the group supporting him/her for the democracy he/she seeks to represent. There are simply more important things to do in an election than babysit signs. Fortunately, we had a candidate who understood that . . .
Your alternative is to invest in the electronic world. Social media has a similar legitimizing (obviously not the same) effect, but it’s not going to reach everyone. It is incredibly cheap and it can’t be ripped off by an opponent. If you really don’t want to buy signs, buy ad words and Facebook ads. They’re probably more effective than signage anyway, but you’ll need to fill the “legitimacy” gap and find a way to reach the portion of the electorate that you aren’t reaching through alternative media.
I’m less interested in this discussion as campaign strategy (I’ll take care of that myself, thanks) as in assessing the health of our democracy. Sign-stealing is a way of preventing candidates from communicating with the public. Why not get more upset about it?
Why is ” a candidate who worries about the thief lets down the group supporting him/her”? I don’t follow your logic.
What were your experiences with sign-stealing in the Rowe campaign? How bad, and how expensive, was the problem?
Speaking of your candidate — is he in for November? Break the news here!
1) I would suggest that getting more upset about the issue isn’t productive. The amount of resources required to prevent or deter would be sign thieves would be better spent elsewhere. Frankly– it is what it is and some people are jerks. They know better and they do it anyway.
That said, if one got caught, I wouldn’t feel too bad about them spending a few nights in jail.
2) If you’re worrying about a sign thief, then you’re not focusing on what you should be, which is campaigning. The only person that can get in the way of communicating with the public is the candidate. Others can provide distraction, but ultimately the candidate is responsible for the message, who will hear it, and how they will hear it.
3) Sign removal was noticeable, but it didn’t impact the campaign. We took out a second run on signs, but there were multiple reasons for the run, so it’s hard to put a dollar value on the percentage dedicated to stolen replacements. I’d say maybe 1/20 were taken down (from the first run) in error (likely stolen.) In about half those cases, signs were replaced with another candidate, but we weren’t the only ones with this problem.
On point 2, I have my reasons; watch this space!
You guys had good signs. Yes, everyone seemed to lose signs; it looked to me that you were losing more than 1 in 20.
You know I’m watching, GD . . . 🙂
I am obviously not in favor of any stealing of anything…however, if the sign is on public property is it really stealing? Doesn’t something have to be owned by someone to be stolen? If it is just out there on public property, isn’t it available to anyone in the public? Is the owner of the property (i.e. the gov’t) the only one who can take care of items on their property? Totally different situation if it is on private property and placed there by the property owner.
I have never taken down any signs, political or otherwise, nor have I put them up though either, but I sure have wanted to clean up some telephone poles with advertisements on them…maybe you are referring to signs on private property placed there by the owner compared to public property (although, my impression is that the sign along Brea Blvd was maybe on public ppty- could be wrong though).
When all else fails, go with the skunk oil…although it would suck to be the landscaper who picks up the sign to mow the lawn.
My understanding is that, generally, candidates are entitled to special consideration in placing their campaigns on public property (consistent with some local limits.) Campaign signs, unlike commercial signs, are part of a public activity. Taking them away is really stealing, no matter how much it’s winked at.
There are no restrictions on having signs on private property and removing them is theft.
I don’t have a problem with them getting placed on public property, but since it is public property and not private, there really is no owner to take care of the sign and hence I would think that they could easily be removed by someone else and still not be considered criminal theft. Immoral likely, but not sure if it is illegal.
I am a believe in doing things because it is right the right thing to do and not because the government has a set of laws to define our actions- hence, I would not agree with someone removing a candidate’s sign regardless of the law. With that right, also comes the responsibility of cleaning up the signage after the election is complete.
Still like the skunk oil idea…
I wouldn’t have the heart to set up a skunk oil trap for someone. I guess that’s why I’m a Democrat.
(Now if I could have it in a squirt gun to make sure I got the right person, that might be different.)
Should sign stealing be illegal?
“Some would argue that sign stealing is wrong altogether, while others will tell you it’s all a strategic part of the game.”
http://www.nesn.com/2012/06/should-major-league-baseball-make-sign-stealing-illegal.html
You clever man.
I wish somebody would steal the signs littering thethe streets from last months elections (or in some cases last November)!
This is perhaps an insight to a canidates responsibility to the district/ward/area.
Garden Grove Blvd. Is a mess. As is CSUF.
The Fullerton officer at the info desk informed me the city’s policy was to send out teams to remove signs as early as two days after the election and charged the candidates for the service. This, so far as I can tell, was entirely hypothetical — and if it’s not true I wish they wouldn’t say it.
Anyway, if you don’t like it then complain about it.
It’s not just Matt Rowe’s signs thirty feet up in the CSUF parking lots, It’s Julio’s littering GG Blvd. From the 22 to Beach, Conlon for Senate along I15, Long Pham and the “Yes on E” in Brea.
These are usually the smaller, less affluent campaigns, but still, they should make an attempt to clean them up.
In more “urban” districts, this can be an attempt to build name recognition, but it is really just blight.
Complaining is what I am doing. I am not so tight assed that I would waste any cities time filing a complaint. Just like I would not record the license plate of a litterer. Rather I would call them an asshole, tell them to mind thier manners and move on.
But, I think you overlook my point. These campaigns post signs to promote themselves, and then abandon them. They might as well just shit on my lawn. That’s what I am saying, because thats how much these politicans care about the area they claim to represent.
DISCLAIMER: I have never seen a Diamond for senate sign remain up! – And if you put out the word, please help, I would stop and gently pull one down.
We have a vendor whose responsibility it is to take down the signs. Please forward the location to campaign@rowe4fullerton.com and I’ll make sure they get taken down.
I like the idea of putting something on the sign that will turn the thiefs fingers blue. This sign stealing business is typical of our society that seems to think acting like an ass is ok or just the way we do business.
At the sametime getting out and meeting people is the way to go – like passing out flyers at farmers markets. Make yourself visible!
*Stolen signs? Are you kidding us? Isn’t that par for the course? Usually, the frontrunner puts up their signs. Then the challenger pulls down half of those signs and puts theirs up right next to the frontrunners. Then the third in the race takes all of the signs down and puts theirs up. It is called politics. Usually, the frontrunner lays in wait and takes pictures of the challenger pulling down the signs and turns them in to the DA who freaks and call the challenger and tells them to stop the BS.
Politics is awesome…..give us some “walking around money” and we will write tripe like everyone else. Nevermind, you don’t have enough to make it worth our while!
It’s called theft. I know that it is par for the course, and that a lot of people think that it’s A-OK, but it is still theft and I’m not going to do it.
I watched a guy on a mountain bike ride along and take campaign signs, rip them in half, and throw them in the bushes. He was indiscriminate, as he destroyed all that he came across, Republican, Democrat, Independent.
I imagine that he was offended by their blight on his ride through the neighborhood.
Many people feel the same about realtor signs.
*Don’t forget…the candidates are responsible for removing all their signs after the election. If they don’t, the city does and fines the campaign.
Sign thefts were a significant problem in the Fullerton Recall. I had some 300-plus signs stolen. Of those stolen, half were on public property and half were on private property.
In 2010, my signs were vandalized by a white male in his early 60s on a bicycle. He would ride past them on State College as well as Bastanchury, and kick or pull out the signs. This time the only people around when my signs were removed were City workers. I’m not saying that the City employees removed the signs but many witnesses told me the workers had been working in that area.
Signs, in my opinion, are a necessary evil. They are often obnoxious and create piles of litter. However, they are an important component of political freedom and expression.
I tried to make sure that all of the signs were down within a week. I coordinated with other campaigns and had volunteers collecting them.
What was most frustrating for me was that I often placed my signs right next to youth sports banners. According to City Hall, no one was suppose to put signs on some of these fences yet the youth banners remained while my signs were removed (but by whom remains a mystery). I don’t appreciate government hypocrisy.
Signs play an important role in political campaigns and no one should be meddling with another’s signs.
I have to admit, Greg– my favorite play was the clean sweep of the signs posted on public space only to have that same space flooded with anti-recall signs the next day.
That was most definitely classic.
Agreed. I’m coming up with a plan to address the problem this year. Maybe Bruce and Travis will be interested.