Editor, The Beacon:
The state, county and cities all have laws and ordinances that prohibit campaign signs from being placed within the public rights of way and, in some cases, on private property without the permission of the property owner.
Yet we see our rights of way littered with illegally placed campaign signs, and campaign signs are being placed on private property without the permission of the property owners all over.
How can we trust those who are elected to represent us in a fair and ethical way when they are not even following the most basic of laws and ordinances themselves while seeking election and, even worse, if they are seeking re-election?
Those who are seeking elected office are cheating when they do not follow the most basic of laws and ordinances, and every voting citizen should take note of those candidates who would allow this to occur on their behalf. If they cheat to get elected, they will certainly cheat once elected.
Don’t forget, those we elect will be charged with creating and approving laws and ordinances that we must obey, and in some cases, they are also called upon to act as judge and jury when we are accused of violating one of the laws or ordinances they have created.
If we truly want fair and legal elections, the state, county and cities should be removing every illegally placed sign, and fines, where allowed, should be imposed against the campaign that is violating the laws and ordinances, and everyone running to hold an elected office should be directing their supporters not to place signs illegally.
Each candidate should have volunteers remove their illegally placed signs.
We do not want politicians elected who will create laws and ordinances we have to follow when they don’t even follow the ones in place now. Enough of the “what is good for me is not good for thee.”
Keith Chester
DeLand
