One of the low-wattage aspects of the current Democratic Primary race in Howard County District 4 has been the Klein campaign’s repeated violation of County sign laws. If you drive around western Columbia, you will find Klein signs planted in the county right-of-ways, in median strips, and just about anywhere there is enough dirt to plant them. Although the Klein campaign has been asked, more than once, to remove the signs from illegal locations, the practice continues.
It is my understanding that Alan Klein has weighed in on this himself, saying that because the county had said that it would not enforce laws this year, he can put signs just anywhere he chooses. The laws that the county is not enforcing deal with elections. That is to say, signs that exceed the regulated size restriction or the duration that they are up before the election will not be taken down. However, laws regarding sign placement are still in effect. Signs are not to be placed in right of ways.
The Klein sign above is especially troubling. It is not only in the County right of way, it is blocking access to a fire hydrant, raising issues of the Klein’s disregard to public safety. And for those of you who think this is not a big deal, look again and think of your kitchen on fire, and how a firefighter explains to you that they may have gotten to the fire a minute or two earlier, but they had to remove a sign to gain access to the fire hydrant.
I think this reflects Klein’s approach to most topics. Regardless of what the law says, or the county policy, it is his interpretation of that law and policy that matters. In yesterday’s Columbia Flier, a fellow Wilde Lake resident spoke of hubris in this year’s primary. I think the picture above demonstrates the hubris evident in this election much more clearly.
5 comments:
While I wholeheartedly agree the sign placement is in awful taste - I highly doubt a "minute or two" would pass.
That sign would be stomped to the ground in a moment's notice + the hose hooked up.
All of the signs do annoy me, though. I agree with everything else - even if it's not being enforced doesn't mean the law still isn't applicable. A law's a law. The end.
I saw two of his signs in the right of way on the BL parkway exit from 29. If I didn't have a screaming baby in the car, I would have stopped and yanked them out of the ground. I also saw 2 of his signs in the right of way on Tamar Dr. and wondered he realized that wasn't the right district.
They're pulling out all the stops, aren't they?
I'd love to see a picture of a dog doing "number one" on the hydrant and the sign!
As annoying as those signs are, taking them is against the law. It isn't your property. There are several candidates who seem to drive around their district and put signs wherever they please... there are Robey/Guzzone/Pendergrass/Turner signs in District 13 in medians, on street corners and on the sides of the road. The county executive's campaign is not exempt from this behavior either.
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