Commentary by Frank Schroth
photo by Frank Schroth
Guess what this is a picture of?
It’s a campaign sign . . . without the sign. And that is unfortunate.
We are coming to the end of the campaign season, a time when feelings can, understandably, run a little high. But it is disappointing when a resident posts a campaign sign, returns with the family from vacation, and discovers that someone has removed his sign.
We might not have noticed it if the sign hadn’t been so big and in our neighborhood.
It’s the second sign in the neighborhood that has gone missing. The first was another large sign that had been placed on a fence at the Hendries property. That one disappeared several weeks ago.
Why?
We know who did not take them down: the property owners didn’t remove these signs. One owner called us to let us know his was missing. We reached out to the campaign to ask if they had taken down the signs. There is a history here we will get to in a minute, but more specifically, there had been some social media chatter objecting to the size of the signs. So it would not be surprising to learn that the campaign, upon hearing objections, had removed the signs. But they didn’t, although they were aware that some residents objected to the size.
We believe the signs were legal and conformed to zoning. In an email Joe Prondak stated:
We do not pursue political signs. Even though the Zoning Bylaw regulates them in some fashion, there are some court cases which have determined these to be protected free speech…. So the removal of the sign at the Hendries site had nothing to do with us.
The history here is that a local TV newsman, Ted O’Brien, once posted a sign and was told by the town to take it down. He didn’t. Instead, he went to court and won, based on the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. If memory serves me, the sign had to do with selling his property, but it opened the door for signs on personal property. Some candidates in the past have refrained from signs altogether out of deference to the town’s history on signage. Kathy Fagan, a former selectman, did not use lawn signs when running for re-election; she lost to Bob Sweeney who did campaign with signs on property. Of course, that election outcome may not have been determined by the presence of signage.
Campaign signs are a political reality. While we will not take a position on the selectmen’s race, we welcome endorsements. Freedom of speech and civic engagement matter. Residents should be able to voice their support and enthusiasm for a candidate without fear that their property will be trespassed upon and their freedom to express themselves violated. We should all be embarassed and disappointed that this happens here in our town.
The very sad, but true, reality is politics in Milton is worse than in some big cities.
Congressman Moakley told me that in person after learning of the threats endured for being the first since a blue moon to run against an incumbent.
One resident was caught stealing a political sign and was also once brought to Court.
One family moved out of Milton when they’re house was completely egged for putting up an override sign. Guess which side they were on?
My office was broken into during some of Milton’s most heated “debates” which I was told was federal offense due to my occupation.
Milton is over a $100 Million business. There’s the small stipend of $1500, but not so well known is that some Selectmen and Assessors receive their family’s health insurance through our taxes.
Aside: I was never informed of this extra benefit which is a substantial cost to the taxpayers.
Many residents who are threatened withdraw in disgust that small town politics can be so ugly.
To those who are willing to stay the course of working for their town, as a volunteer, an employee or a politician and continue to voice their opinions ~ never give up ~ Milton is worth the trouble!
The sign removed from the Hendries property might have been removed by the campaign because it realized there was no benefit being associated with a property that the campaign itself described as “an eyesore.” (The now-missing private property owner’s sign looked an awful lot like the one removed several weeks ago from Hendries . . . ).
It’s really too bad campaigning can’t be kept clean. One of the current campaigners told me “It is no fun to run a clean campaign”. That’s not my candidate!!!!
Diane- is that true in addition to a stipend of $1500 some have obtained health coverage ? Please do tell ! Is this coverage in addition to Obamacare ?
Candidates are not responsible for this behavior, and it has been perpetrated against all candidates for some years now.
Yes, many years after I served as Selectmen, I learned Selectmen and Assessors may sign up for family health insurance.
I’m sure on Monday Town Hall could answer how many, who and how much that benefit costs taxpayers. As anyone paying their own premiums, it ain’t cheap.
Thanks for your insight Diane.
Perhaps you might look at the weather report for that night.
It was the windiest night in a long time. Maybe, just maybe. A flimsy sign with no back was separated from its frame.
Maybe it was Divine intervention!
I had to take my two signs down and put them back up when the wind stopped.
I saw one of my candidates signs blown down, never to be seen again.
Just saying.
Maybe some people should just calm down.
So in addition to a very modest stipend, $1500, elected officials are eligible to join the Town’s health care plan ? It would be interesting to know, who, if anyone is taking advantage of this perk . Not sure what it is actually worth but if you are self employed it could be a a substantial saving.
It’s a positive trend to see the uptick in political interest, good citizenry and celebration of free speech with the plethora of political signs. I find it interesting to see who in the neighborhood is endorsing which candidate. So when I saw the David Burnes sign attached to the Hendries property, it made me wonder what this implicit endorsement meant.
Does the candidate endorse the current plan for the property given its’ size, density and missed opportunity for mixed use?
Is the candidate implying that he has a relationship with the developer whereby he is able to influence the final building plan and its’ impact as a cornerstone and gateway to the neighborhood?
Now that the sign is gone, it does make me wonder further…So Frank, Whoa! Where’d the sign go? — and why?
Well said, Frank (as usual!). Unless the disappearance was, in each instance, the weather or divine intervention, then it truly is disappointing and embarrassing, regardless of how often it has happened before.
As usual the naysayers will attempt to divert attention from the hard evidence as the Court records exist and I for one will not publicize the name or my defaced sign hanging in a residence because as noted since signs were not done in Milton, my supporters put them in their windows. Not blowing hot air as the evidence is there. (Pun intended.)
For clarity sake, we’re talking about Burnes signs and more than 45 of them. Perhaps one, two or even handful blew away in the wind, but not 45 signs. And not only at night. And the wind doesn’t only hit certain neighborhoods on certain nights. These signs have been disappearing for months, including the one in Dave Burnes own yard. While a major inconvenience and expense to his campaign, you haven’t heard a peep out of Dave Burnes about it in debates, on social media, his website or in any of his campaign literature, because he’s been focused on the real issues of importance to Milton residents.
I agree with Frank that #SignGate is an embarrassment and an unacceptable violation of property rights, and if it is truly emblematic of business as usual in Milton politics, all the more the reason for some change.
In 2014, Frank covered the issue of elected officials having access to 80% paid municipal health insurance in return for a minimum of 20 hours of work per week and the article is here: http://02186.mytownmatters.com/?p=35114. This seems like an issue for the Government Study Committee to consider whether or not it makes sense for the taxpayers to be paying $35,000 per year to insure two elected officials (according to 2014 data; there may be more or less elected officials taking the health insurance now).
Re:80% paid municipal health insurance.
A couple of comments
1 This appears to be a record keeping nightmare. Who keeps track of how much time is spent on Town business by these elected officials to qualify for for the perk ?
Is it 20 hours per week or 1,040 hours per year ? Do they sign time sheets or is it on the honor system ?
2 If we removed the stipend, would that have any impact on eligibility ?
3 what would bother me is , regardless of the legality, is if someone that does not need this financial advantage ,would take this benefit just because they could.
what about those elected officials that do not take this $18,000 benefit, Should they be able to ask for and receive some sort similar benefit from the Town ?
This may be legal but, for me , it raises a number of questions that may need to be addressed that i wish were only hypothetical in nature
The Burnes campaign doesn’t complain about missing signs, April? A) you just did, pretty extensively. B) What about the complaint filed with Milton Police, about 9 missing signs (that, it turns out, were not actually missing but had been re-positioned by someone very close to the candidate)?
While I am not supporting either candidate, my over thirty years campaigning in Milton recommends any comments referencing Milton’s history of campaigns should include the available facts.
More money was spent by incumbents against me than at any time before. Tens of thousand of dollars by officials with name recognition.
An incumbent has name recognition and visibility. An unknown candidate needs to campaign and that costs $$$.
The sign issue can be debated from now to eternity. One supporter was brought to Court ~ don’t think we want to publicize those Court documents of evidence.
It’s time to focus on what each candidate stands for to decide how we’ll vote tomorrow and then please join the following Facebook Page:
Milton: Accountability of Elected Official (Politicians).
This public and self administered Page so unless a post is sensored by another member or Facebook, it will stay posted along with the follow up posts.