Unsigned Postcards Ask Homeowners To Take Down Campaign Signs « CBS Pittsburgh: "PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Some homeowners in the quiet Murdoch Farms section of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood are angry after getting postcards in the mail asking them to take down campaign signs in their yards.
The cards say in part, “If you feel strongly about your candidates, then talk to your neighbors, use other channels, like the Internet, and consider taking down the signs that are distracting from our beautiful neighborhood.”"
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While I understand the importance of political expression, I do understand why people get frustrated when they are everywhere. I have a neighbor who is a political activist. His yard is festooned with signs for every candidate for his party from president to dogcatcher. He goes door-to-door and pesters people to put up signs, too. This happens in every election cycle. The neighborhood is normally beautiful in the fall, with all the leaves changing, but instead we have garish signs everywhere.
But polite requests are just about the only way to address this issue. The Supreme Court ruled in the Ledou v. Gilleo case that political yard signs are protected by the First Amendment and cannot be banned by local ordinance, although they can be regulated. Many HOAs and condo associations have strict rules that go beyond what a municipality could do, which I guess responds to concerns like those voiced in this article.
1 comment:
The HOA-dwellers that expect to live in la-la land where everything meets their personal visual aesthetics need to re-locate to apartments. Fundamentally there are rights to and in property that is owned. As much as industry hacks and developers try to carve down what rights convey with property, the first amendment and right to expression is not eliminated. You either own or rent and the HOA Nazis want the power of landlord without the obligations that accompany ownership. Too bad there was no return address on the postcard. No doubt some homeowners will put up more signs in response to the postcard.
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