Open Letter to City Council Candidates

By Jim Gardner

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A few days ago on these pages it was proposed that as a group we agree not to use campaign signs in the upcoming election. The reasons for this include:

Personally I agree with this. These negative elements have to be weighed against the positive benefit of individuals expressing their First Amendment rights of free speech. I suspect wearing a T-shirt endorsing your candidate is probably a more effective exercise of the free speech right, but not everyone looks good in a T-shirt. Alternatively, one can have campaign signs that are used at events (see picture) and then go home with the individuals, but don’t remain 24 hours a day for weeks on end. On that basis, campaign signs number in the dozens, not the thousands.

I’d like to propose two options –

COMPLETE PROHIBITION

We agree not to purchase or distribute campaign signs. This doesn’t preclude a staunch advocate from making his/her own signs, but it means that the thousands of slick campaign signs that normally accompany an election won’t be seen on our streets.

PARTIAL PROHIBITION

We agree not to place (or have placed) campaign signs on public areas, but we reserve the right to purchase and distribute campaign signs that our supporters will use on their own private property or carry to events. To avoid any mischief, we further agree that any of our signs that make their way to public property can be removed by anyone.

I’m happy to agree to either of these alternatives, but for it to work, all of us must agree to abide by the agreement.

If you agree to both, or one of these, or if you have a third alternative to propose, please reply, either in this public forum or by e-mailing me at GardnerForCouncil@gmail.com If I haven ‘t heard from you by the end of the week, I will assume that you’re not interested.

We are all striving, in our own way, to make Lake Forest a better place to live. Let’s hope we contribute to that effort in our campaigns.

Jim

PHOTO Signs from 2008 elections. Jim Gardner calls this “living signs.” Courtesy Jim Gardner.