Health & Fitness
Blog: Political Signs Gone Wild
Tired of the blight of illegally placed political signs? You're not alone.
Every election cycle in recent memory, candidates seem to use the yard sign as a popularity contest. The more the merrier, the bigger the better, stack 'em pack 'em and rack 'em, ordinances be damned. State law prohibits them on a state highway right-of-way, and the Elmhurst ordinance prohibits them on ALL public land. Why as a populace, then, must we be continually exposed to the expense of removing all the illegally posted signs that are taken down one day, then turn back up overnight?
Since the last election, the Elmhurst City Council enacted a zoning ordinance regulating the size, spacing and location of these eyesores. Private property? Knock yourself out, but keep them 2 feet apart and 6 square feet in a residential neighborhood. Public parkways? Illegal, period.
What kills me is that the biggest scofflaws are the ones who should know better: the people running for judge and County Board. Let's see ... St.Charles and 83? Check. North Avenue and 83? Check. St. Charles and West Avenue? Check.
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And the kicker? Right on the front lawn of City Hall.
What? Somebody took 'em down? PUT 'EM BACK UP! If they didn't like 'em on the state right-of-way on 83, we'll just nail 'em to the Kopper Kitchen sign!
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Good Earth looks closed, they won't mind. Let's put two signs in a V-shape touching both the building and the sidewalk. Chase Bank didn't want them in front of their branch? I'll go in there personally and tell them they HAVE to be there. Ordinance, shmordinace. Who runs this town, anyway?
Didn't somebody swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the laws of the State of Illinois and the ordinances of the City of Elmhurst? How can you be trusted with our best interests when you find it so necessary to violate the law to get elected—and have every time you've run for office?
Actually, I've found the best method to address the problem. It's called voting. If you're gonna count on my vote based on how many signs you've got up, I'm going to vote for whoever did it legally. And I did.
