How many signs do we really need?
It is an election year. I believe we are all very aware of that as we drive anywhere these days. A certain portion of being successful in a political campaign is name recognition. I read that somewhere, and it must be the true because the yard signs are everywhere.
There are big ones; there are little ones; and there is everything in between. I live on a busy road in what many would consider to be a possible “prime” sign location, and no one has asked to place a sign in my yard this year. I see some yards with three, four, five or six signs — I think I am feeling left out of the sign marathon.
Or, maybe I am just lucky. Do all of these signs convince me to vote one way or another? Do they make you vote a certain way?
Give me a few signs, if you must. I understand that you feel the need to do that. Better yet, give me one large billboard, and I am good. Tell me what you stand for; tell me what you would change; tell me why you are the better candidate. Don’t plant signs in every yard to sway my vote. It doesn’t always work the way you have planned.
Seeing all of these signs also makes me wonder: “Where do they all go?” When all of the shouting is over, where do all the signs go? Are they burned in some far-off place designed for all political signs? Do they make their way to a landfill here or somewhere else to lie there for extended periods waiting to biodegrade? Are they recycled to be used again and again? Are they donated to a collector of all things political?
There must be a line item on the campaign budget for all the candidates titled, “Signage.” How much of the campaign dollars are designated to that line? Wouldn’t it be better to spend those dollars after the election on doing something worthwhile for the community and the area?
I have a proposed solution to reduce the “sign budget.” Here goes: All of the candidates running for election would gather at a meeting before the campaigning kicked off. The candidates would come to an agreement on the maximum number of signs each could produce. The signs would be placed at designated locations at the entrances to all towns in the county/area. This would eliminate all the signs in the yards. I just know we could get the candidates to all agree, don’t you?
Finally, if you must put out the signs, all of you candidates, please have the signs removed. If as the candidate, you are not going to remove the signs, please homeowners, remove the signs before they are looking sad, wet and bedraggled. Please don’t make us look at election signs with Christmas lights blinking in the background.
I look forward to voting and seeing the results of the election, thankful that I live in a country where I can vote freely. I have learned all the names. Now I just need to make my final decisions. Good luck to all of the candidates.
Nita Wyatt of Wyanet can be reached at golfingfor2@ymail.com.
