Whoever You Are, Please Stop Stealing “Reset Lakeside” Yard Signs.
This letter is sent in frustration, due to the high number of Reset Lakeside yard signs that are being removed-stolen is the word-every night from almost every part of the County. I am a TIP volunteer who has helped get these signs distributed, and I hate to consider the donated money and the volunteer time and effort that is being destroyed with every such act of vandalism.
I do not know who is doing this, and make no accusations. But the “Reset” initiative is very popular with the public generally….they are the ones putting UP the signs, not tearing them down. This is not a town v. county matter, or Dem v. Republican, come-here v. from-here issue. It’s not about relative wealth, and it’s not about race. Almost nobody likes Lakeside as it is proposed now. So, who is tearing down the Reset Lakeside signs?
It is hard to believe that the developer of Lakeside is involved, but maybe others who are going to make a little money off the work at Lakeside think this is an appropriate way to act? lt’s not.
Seven of the ten candidates running for County Council support the “Reset” effort initiated by the Talbot lntegrity Project (TlP) and have been endorsed by TlP. They and their supporters are unlikely to be removing these signs.
lf any of the other three candidates (Messrs. Callahan, Stepp and Strickland) thinks their supporters, in an ill-placed effort to help, might be removing signs, please take affirmative steps to ask them not to do this. lt is just not the right way to act.
It is not what Talbot County civic life is about. Whoever you are, please stop
Vol with Talbot Integrity Project.
Michael Pullen
Talbot County
Susan Kemp says
In total agreement. Why on earth would anyone deny citizens their lawful right to publicly proclaim their opinions/stances? Aren’t we living in a free country?
Wade Strickland says
Mr. Pullen,
I understand your frustration regarding signs being “removed”. I have had several of my signs become missing as well. I, in no way condone the removal of political signs, regardless of the stance one may take. I do however feel calling out the three candidates whom TIP didn’t endorse a bit presumptuous that our supporters would be the only guilty parties of such foul play. Wouldn’t you agree, there may be supporters of those candidates whom were endorsed, who don’t support TIP’s “Reset Lakeside” agenda? Lakeside is not the only issue this county is dealing with. Anyone could be responsible for this crime of removing signs, regardless of party or stance.
Thank you,
Wade Strickland
Candidate for Talbot County Council
Barbara Denton says
Wade Strickland is correct. Implying that the supporters for the three candidates not named on the signs are doing the removals is ridiculous. The signs were placed without permission all over the County right of ways, the state right of ways and on many corners I would imagine the property owners did not give permission. It would seem to me a group formed to fight Lakeside using funds solicited for this purpose should not be endorsing political candidates at all. I hope the State Election Board is looking into this. To top it all off we seem to have a featured candidate Pete Lesher in taller letters and at the head of the endorsement pack. That implies he has a higher stature than the rest of the listed candidates. Every four years we have certain people in this county who believe they are the authority on who supports limited growth and who does not. Every 4 years they are wrong. Prove them wrong again.
Susie Select... Hayward says
Michael, perhaps they won’t be removed if your organization stopped putting the signs on private property (and other illegal areas) without the owner’s permission. The blame may lie solely in your lap.
Charles Barranco says
Ms Kemp,
Unfortunately, there seems to be a self appointed deplorable who wishes to unilaterally dictate our right to free speech. By comparison, the same thing occurred in the last election when Donald Trump attempted to unilaterally change peoples votes to suit himself.
This person(s), has a lot in common with the former President in that he/she has taken it upon themselves to deny citizens their Constitutional rights.
At this rate we are surely on the road to a dictatorship.
Hopefully, the despicable person(s) are caught and prosecuted.
Willard T Engelskirchen says
It does seem that civility seems to be taking a holiday with some for this election.