Let the video surveillance footage of Johnson County Commissioner John M. Toplikar allegedly stealing his opponent’s campaign signs be a reminder that local candidates can get tripped up by YouTube, too. Olathe police charged Toplikar with misdemeanor theft after finding challenger Calvin Hayden’s signs in his possession. Toplikar later claimed that he “moved” the signs because they were “deliberately” placed to block his, then acknowledged that he shouldn’t have taken them down.
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14 Comments
There are some important questions here:
Who does a campaign sign belong to, the candidate or the property that takes the sign? Is the sign a “gift” or a “loaned” piece of property?
What of signs placed on property without permission?
What of property owners who SPECIFICALLY give instructions to campaigns that they support, to keep their lots clear of all signs that they do NOT support?
These things come up in every campaign.
My advice, to a candidate who puts their signs up without permission?
Put YOUR signs in front of theirs and block their sign. Even if the property manager TELLS you to take down the opponents sign, it will look bad in the.
I had a written letter from a rental property and commercial property owner a few years back, listing addresses for me to place certain yard signs, and also requesting that I “clear off” any signs from candidates she did not support.
That letter came in very handy.
The press is too eager for a “gotcha” story. I am far more worried about the arrogant candidates that put up signs without permission — sometimes even with the INTENT of “catching” someone in the perfectly legal act of correcting that abusive behavior.
Forcing others to show support for candidates that they actually oppose is tyranny.
Of course, my “advice” was on how to deal with a candidate that puts up signs without permission.
Franklin, its over. Pick up your signs and go home. Your side lost.
Paulie again inserts garbage when the topic is some moron stealing signs. Franklin: Garbage in/garbage out.
John Toplikar claimed he was merely “moving” signs.
But he was arrested with a pile of his opponent’s yard signs stacked in the back of his mini-van.
Just where was he “moving” them to?
Yard sign moving is a recurrent event every election season. It’s usual for one side or the other to complain about and, since both sides’ signs are nearly always involved, most people realize it’s the result of kids and idiots getting out of hand.
But Toplikar is the candidate, f’r chrissake! You’d think he’d have something better to do, or would have enough kids and idiots to steal his yard signs for him!
Forget about newspaper endorsements. Has anyone ever changed their vote because they happened to see a yard sign?!
Priorities, people. Priorities.
One of the CONs who contributes to this forum cackled last night that s/he was building a bonfire last night of Obama yard signs. Talk about an exercise in masturbatory politics.
Can you imagine what it would tell us if John S (for Senile) McCain the Third (for Shrub’s 3rd term) stopped his motorcade and and three Secret Service agents trot alongside him as he ripped up an Obama yard sign?
I’ve worked in campaigns.
I’ve been involved in meetings that set up a “yard sign strategy.” It always seemed absurd to me.
If we get everyone to go out at night on the same night and have a bunch of yard signs appear when people wake up in the morning… well, that’s all about convincing your supporters they’re doing something important. “Consider the shock value, with all these signs popping up the same day!”
Yeah. Consider that.
That will change my vote.
And if “moving” his opponent’s signs (via his SUV) is that important to Toplikar, his other decision-making process becomes highly suspect.
In the past, I have put up many political signs for various candidates, local and state-wide, so I have some thoughts on this.
It is irritating to see political signs placed on sites that are obviously government property or easements, etc. I think it should be fair game for any citizen to remove these.
Many political signs are put up by enthusiastic supporters who either don’t know the rules or don’t care.
Also putting a political sign directly in front of an opponents sign should be a common sense no-no.
However, regarding the case above, I recall a number of years ago, patrolling political sign for my candidates early one Sunday morning along I-35 in Johnson County. I noticed an opposing candidate and wife replacing my candidates’
signs with their own signs. I drove up and asked what they were doing. The candidate’s husband actually raised his hammer threatening me. Even his wife told him to cool it … after all, it was only a political race!
Speaking of working all night before an election to put up hundreds of political signs around a county by sunrise … I believe that does appear to overwhelm the opposing candidate in eyes of some voters. I have done that in past years for more than one candidate. However the new “advanced voting” probably blunts this strategy.
Regarding sign locations, I would like to see some businesses mark off strategic corners of their property for political signs before elections. Some rules should apply:
1) Only one sign per candidate, of either party.
2) Only yard sign size … 18″ X 24″ maximum.
3) Two weeks maximum before election and two days after election. May be removed by any good samaritan citizen after election.
I’m thinking Quik Trips, Dillons, McDonalds and other retail businesses and shopping centers might consider this. I have convinced certain businesses to do this in the past as long as discrimination is avoided. A corner full of colorful political signs is part of our American political tradition.
Good luck to my candidates … bad luck to their opponents!
Yard signs . . . never have so many worried so much about so little.
There’s no real evidence that yard signs do anything.
Yard signs don’t vote.
Fear of YOUTUBE is apparently why soon-to-be FORMER Sen. Susan Wagle never allows videotaping at any of her public appearances.
That way, when she says something really elitist and smug and stupid like that “poor people can afford health insurance if only they didn’t have cell phones,” she can try to deny it.
I was there. I heard it.
If we could have put it on YOUTUBE, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
JWink–
The law as I understand it is that you can put any kind of sign you want on public property.
But then anybody else can legally take it down.
esaements – I contend that the specific easement in front of my home should be under my control for purposes of signs – just as it is my responsibility to maintain. Until the City starts mowing it for me they have no right to control it. and Peterjohn better not touch my Gregory sign again.
Con signs removed 13
DIP (destroyed in place) 27
We saw this move last night and thought it was great! I would highly recommend that anyone go see it and soon.
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/
And BTH, Commissioner candidate, Marjorie, better keep her mits off the KARL PETERJOHN FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER sign in my yard which sends a blazing beacon for major changes in the Sedgwick County Commissioners office.
And Tim Norton, downtown Wichita arena cheerleader from Haysville, better stay away from my CRAIG GABEL FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER yard sign on his way to the county courthouse to pick up his pay check.
I guarantee you if Karl Peterjohn and Craig Gabel both win their county commissioner elections, we will see a new direction and finally real results from the FIVE Sedgwick County Commissioners.
Unfortunately, voters can’t get rid of County Commissioner Dave Unruh in this election because his exit election will be in two more years.
JW – no matter what happens tomorrow the Commission will be a lot different. Tom Winters was probably the biggest cheer-leader of wasteful spending – he is definitely gone. Gregory has been an outspoken critic of all this waste for many years.
If nothing else this new Commission will be fun to watch. I’m sort of glad Unruh will still be there – just so he can go sit in a corner!