Do you have political signs in front of your house?

[adrian]

Yesterday, someone asked us if she could put another sign on our gates to bring support for the person she's representing (I forgot the name, but I'll get it first thing tomorrow).

We now have two signs infront of our house, both running for the same thing (representitive for the house).

BTW, anyone can send a sign for a mayoral candidate to complete our "collection"? Our house is an "end of the road house", so as you enter the neighborhood, you can see the house, plus the signs (good advertising).

I've seen some houses with 3 or 4 different signs (some mayoral candidates and house of rep.) so I'm trying for a record.

[pzarquon]

The signs are already out of control, and it's still June. We should see sign-wavers any day now. It's going to be a long election season.

I'm all for political expression. If I supported Duke Bainum, I'd put his sign in my yard, and I'd fight for anyone's right to do the same for their preferred candidate. But the fact that corner-lot and high-traffic property owners are approached by - and agree to post the signs for - several different candidates, including those running against each other, seems ridiculous.

If you have both a Bainum and Mufi sign on your property (there's a house fronting Lunalilo Freeway near the Vineyard offramp like this), what are you saying? "I'm undecided"? "I really like the free bags of rice I get from the campaign folks"? Though, I suppose "I'm collecting signs" is a fun enough of an answer.

The Outdoor Circle has specifically harped on Mufi Hanneman and Mike Gabbard for going overboard with the yard signs, but it's an uphill battle. Restrictions on sign posting were lifted (rightfully so, I suppose, First Amendment and all that), so candidates have to police themselves... which means they won't have any restraint at all. The thing that worries me is, IIRC, there is also no longer a size restriction on campaign signs... meaning we'll probably soon see the side of a six-story building turned into one big mayoral ad.

[Linkmeister]

...meaning we'll probably soon see the side of a six-story building turned into one big mayoral ad.

Well, it ain't six-story, but the second floor of a house on the way up Kaonohi towards the golf course has a humongous "Mufi" sign. Covers most of the side facing the street. :D

[mel]

I think most people who live in condominiums and other managed types of properties have house rules that prohibit the display of signage on the exteriors of their units. As a result, even if I wanted to I probably could not tape a sign on the inside of my window so that people on the outside could see it.

Now whether or not this violates any first amendment laws, I don't know. As far as I know, no one has taken this to court.

That said, I don't mind political yard signs at all, as long as the homeowner approves of them. They are only a temporary thing for a few months and most disappear after the election season is over.

Some do disappear during the election season. I know of some people who get their yard signs stolen or removed by supporters of opposing candidates. What is dangerous for the candidate is the possibility of the culprits taking those signs and placing them on public property, which is currently, I believe against the law. After they do that they go and squeal on the campaign spending commission, ethics commission and elections office just to get their opponent into trouble with a sign violation. This also occurs if people take bumper stickers and place is say on a public trash can or building.

As noted by a previous poster, I do find it very funny when I see signs for opposing candidates in the same race posted on the same property. What's up with that? :confused:

[Palolo lolo]

"none of the above"

[Linkmeister]

As noted by a previous poster, I do find it very funny when I see signs for opposing candidates in the same race posted on the same property. What's up with that? :confused:

Um, the owner's an independent or a moderate? :D

[mel]

It still seems odd to me. You are either committed to one candidate or another, not 2, 3, 4 or 5, etc in the same race. You can only put 1 candidate into a particular office.

[aleno]

It still seems odd to me. You are either committed to one candidate or another, not 2, 3, 4 or 5, etc in the same race. You can only put 1 candidate into a particular office.

My opinion is this.... until you walk into the polling place and pick your canidate...your vote is up for grabs. Some people don't vote for party preference but wait till later to make there decision. I feel that is the American way instead of picking a party and voting for the party whether you agree with the platform or not. Not all parties will please all party members but I believe I have the right to decide who will best represent what I feel are important to me and my family. American way...I believe ..... and those who say if you are for one party like democrate or republican you have to vote that party...they are communistic for dictating who an american should vote for.

My feelings. If you want to put up signs from 12 different canidates then do it....USA is still free....but if you think people should just pick one political party and stick to it....I say go to a communist country and let them tell you what canidate's sign to put up.

My opinion about the subject of people who can't decide who to vote for this early in the race. I'm an American, and I will chose who I want when the time comes.

Aloha,
Aleno

[mel]

My opinion is this.... until you walk into the polling place and pick your canidate...your vote is up for grabs. Some people don't vote for party preference but wait till later to make there decision. I feel that is the American way instead of picking a party and voting for the party whether you agree with the platform or not.


I agree. I never mentioned any parties in my 2 posts so far in this thread. I think a lot of people vote for the person before they think about the party. Granted, there will be party loyalists who will vote a single party all the time.

As you know in Hawaii's primary election, you have to vote by one party or another in most all of the state races. County, OHA and BOE races are non-partisan. The General election is winner takes all, whoever gets the most votes regardless of party..... this leaves voters free to vote for anyone regardless of party.

Remember though in most races you can only vote for one person over the other, and not both, even though you may have candidate A & B's sign for the same race in your yard. Vote for both and your choice is relegated to votes that don't count.


If you want to put up signs from 12 different canidates then do it....USA is still free....but if you think people should just pick one political party and stick to it....I say go to a communist country and let them tell you what canidate's sign to put up.

Hey its your property. You can put whomever sign on it that you want. My opinion is that I find it kind of odd to see for example a Mufi and Bainum sign on the same property. But then again that is just me. I am not forcing anyone to remove their double signs. All I am doing is just expressing my opinion which is what most of these types of boards are set up for.

[pzarquon]

If you want to put up signs from 12 different canidates then do it....USA is still free....but if you think people should just pick one political party and stick to it....I say go to a communist country and let them tell you what canidate's sign to put up.Aue! No huhu, man. No one is telling anyone what to do. All that's been said so far is, it seems kind of silly to post signs for opposing candidates in a single yard. You have to get a pretty good running start to make the jump from there to communism.

Sure, it's possible you like both Mufi and Duke. But I still say it's the free bags of rice... some folks would put up a "Free Mirikitani" sign for that! :p

[helen]

If I had to guess I think there are two reasons why houses would have two or more candidates' sign for the same race. First maybe one house member supports a candidate while another house member supports another candidate.

Secondly by placing all the candidates signs there is no reason any of the candidates would come to visit saying "I am running for this seat".

[Glen Miyashiro]

Last week's Honolulu Weekly had an article about sign-posting that commented on how some folks' yards -- especially in Waipahu -- are just infested with signage, often for opposing candidates at the same time. The article suggested that maybe this was because this practice is common in the Philippines (and by extension, in Waipahu too). Is that really true, or is it just a bunch of nth-hand baloney?

[pzarquon]

That's interesting. I agree, some yards are so cluttered with them it seems to otherwise defy explanation. Six, seven signs for one candidate would indicate a strong enthusiasm for that candidate. Twenty signs for each of four different candidates crowding a single fence to the point of overwhelming it is just incredible.

I live in Mililani, and drove through Waipahu last weekend for a bon dance. I know living in an association-controlled suburb is like living in a communist country sometimes (where a few extra weeds gets you written up), but I had to admit, after seeing the contrast between the two areas, I was somewhat glad such signs are forbidden in my neighborhood.

Of course, that's only because I'm not particularly compelled to support anyone right now. I'm sure if I really wanted to put an Ed Case sign up in my yard, I'd find some energy for a First Amendment rant...

[kimo55]

"Do you have any political signs infront of your house?"

No.
Nor would I allow/support/condone it.

[scrivener]

If you have both a Bainum and Mufi sign on your property (there's a house fronting Lunalilo Freeway near the Vineyard offramp like this), what are you saying?

What you are saying is that you're granting everyone equal visibility in your little corner of the island. Let's not kid ourselves when it comes to signs--your putting one in your yard might, to you, be an expression of ideals or solidarity or whatever, but to the candidate what it means is name recognition. My personal views of Carole Gabbard aside, I don't think anyone who paid attention to the Board of Education elections two years ago will deny that she won because of name-recognition.

Forgive me if this goes off-topic, but:

They make me wonder, these signs. The move toward campaign-finance reform, while noble, is certainly a restriction on freedom of speech. If I'm a wealthy human being and have the means to support the candidate I prefer most generously, it's (most likely) not my fault that you have less money to give to your candidate, and therefore will influence the outcome less than I will. The thrust of campaign-finance reform is that money equals influence, and we don't want people with more money to have more of a say about who gets elected.

Okay, but doesn't the person with the house on the corner of a busy intersection have more resources for sign-display than the person who has the house at the end of the cul-de-sac? Should we require the corner-house owner to allow a certain percentage of the fence to his less-fortunate neighbors? I think most people would say this is going overboard, but I don't see how this is different from setting limits on campaign donations.

I'm all for some kind of campaign-finance reform, but it feels wrong for these reasons.

Okay, back to the thread:

The article suggested that maybe this was because this practice is common in the Philippines (and by extension, in Waipahu too). Is that really true, or is it just a bunch of nth-hand baloney?

I wouldn't discount this, but I think there's more to it than just that. The truth is that as you continue to drive west, you see more and more and more of these signs in yards. I submit that the number of signs in yards is inversely proportional to the average income of the members of the community. The people of Waipahu, Nanakuli, and Waianae (I'm skipping Kapolei and Ewa because in the last ten years, they've become different kinds of communities) have more at stake, and will campaign more fervently.

The sixty-grand per year engineer in Nu`uanu might have a lot to gain by a certain candidate's election, but he'll be darned if he'll sully his neighborhood with an ugly lawn display.

[Albert]

Surprisingly few in Manoa Valley this year, with Tanonaka definitely getting the most support.

[Karen]

No signs in our yard, nor any of our immediate neighbors. I am only seeing them on main streets and roads.

[Linkmeister]

Up Pearlridge you see one or two; in my neighborhood there's one for Coffee directly across the street from me and one in the cul-de-sac, but that's because one of his organizers lives in the cul-de-sac, I suspect, rather than heartfelt devotion to the man.

Get onto Moanalua at Kaonohi and head towards Kaahumanu and you'll start seeing plenty.

Note: insert glottal stops as necessary; I can never remember exactly where they belong in street names. ;)

[pzarquon]

The Honolulu Advertiserhas yet another update on the state of campaign (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Aug/30/ln/ln09a.html) signs in paradise. Not only are they getting more plentiful, but also bigger and more distracting. Note that, like some of the homes discussed here, the photo (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2004/Aug/30/lna1_b.jpg) included in the story is of a Palama St. fence that has both Bainum and Hanneman signs up.

The story also mentions "a new type of 'roving' political sign that... could be creating a new chapter in Hawai'i's election handbook." They're 15 feet wide, and put out on major roads during rush hour, and packed back up and taken away afterward. It's an interesting way to skirt the "not on public property or rights-of-way" rule - the signs are not being held by a smiling waver, but rather guarded by a guy sitting in a nearby van.
Perhaps most intriguing is that rather than promote a candidacy, they all criticize mayoral candidate and former city councilman Duke Bainum on various issues and allude to his family's wealth. A spokeswoman for former councilman Mufi Hannemann, Bainum's main rival in the mayor's race, said the Hannemann campaign is not responsible for the signs and doesn't know who is responsible. Of course not! The Hanneman campaign going negative? Never! :p

[craigwatanabe]

I wouldn't mind campaign messages on trash bags filled with streetside opala awaiting pick up. Messages like: Mufi/Bainum (circle one) Cleaning up Oahu once and for all.

Or "This park cleaned with money from the X-campaign fund for Mayor."

Or some homeless guy holding up a sign on Vineyard and Liliha street intersection saying, "This tummy fed from money from the X-campaign fund."

Or stickers on books instead of bumper stickers on cars saying, "These library books purchased thru funds from the X-campaign."

Or how about, tonight's commercial-free presentation of Debbie Does Dallas is brought to you by Mufi for Mayor...One way or another you'll get a rise out of Mufi!" :eek:

[lillian l. hong]

I wouldn't mind campaign messages on trash bags filled with streetside opala awaiting pick up. Messages like: Mufi/Bainum (circle one) Cleaning up Oahu once and for all.

Or "This park cleaned with money from the X-campaign fund for Mayor."

Or some homeless guy holding up a sign on Vineyard and Liliha street intersection saying, "This tummy fed from money from the X-campaign fund."

Or stickers on books instead of bumper stickers on cars saying, "These library books purchased thru funds from the X-campaign."

Or how about, tonight's commercial-free presentation of Debbie Does Dallas is brought to you by Mufi for Mayor...One way or another you'll get a rise out of Mufi!" :eek:
I like your message. It is so different. It is so sensitive. I can feel it. Do you have some more? Can you share with us?
I saw many time the homeless man holding a sign looking for a job at Vineyard/Liliha. The government said homeless does not want to work. They must be sitting in their air conditioned office doing surveys!
If I am your Honolulu Mayor, I like to offer him a portable 10 x 10 homeless home, at corner of end of South King street/Liliha. The long oblong park before the housing units. It is not a freebie. He will be taking care of the Park, beautifying the park, managing the park with activities, such as open markets, after school activities, senior activities, etc.
What do you think? I talked about city issues like these on Olelo channels
52 53 54 55 56. Duration 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Please check the TV log, if interested.
Love, Lillian Hong
P.S. He will be paid hourly wages by a local temperary service co. with city fund.

[adrian]

It still seems odd to me. You are either committed to one candidate or another, not 2, 3, 4 or 5, etc in the same race. You can only put 1 candidate into a particular office.
At the houses that I've seen that has multiple candidate's signs on their fence, its because the fence area has a good viewing area for cars and people walking by the property.

At one house at the intersection of Paiwa St. and Farrington Hwy, they have all of the candidates running for the state house, govenor, and other seats. Some even put a pattern, saying Mufi, then Duke, then Mufi, etc.

[pzarquon]

Stolen and defaced signs are a big problem this election year. I've seen spraypainted and torn Bainum signs on Dillingham more than once. But here's an interesting entry (http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?6981c0bd-558c-47e2-ba1e-7b7c05c0762e) from HawaiiReporter.com on the Moses/Golojuch race in Kapolei.

Of course, considering the source, the Golojuchs are an obvious target. Still, I don't see how Mike Golojuch can justify this with a straight face. Hell, even if the Moses signs were in the wrong place, it's not the opposing candidate's job to enforce the law, and it's definitely theft if he's packin' 'em up and driving off with them.

[Pelix]

IRT #1
Nope, no signs.