This little pup was first to bark and howl when we caught one of John Rizzo’s workers putting campaign signs up at the Concourse.
As public property, the Concourse — and scores of other public places around Northeast — are off limits to politicians trying get their name out there in front of voters.
Well, just as we took Rizzo to task, it seems only fair to also point out the incumbent State Rep. John Burnett also seems to think he is above the No-signs-in-the-right-of-way rules. Early Monday morning this little pooch spotted more than a dozen Burnett signs along Cherry from Third Street and down Independence Avenue — right on the border between Columbus Park and the River Market. It’s hard enough for neighborhood leaders to keep these streets clear.
For weeks Rizzo has already had signs along the fence lines of homes on that road as they legally placed them in their backyards.
But this last second campaign effort is not completely surprising in a battle that produced one shocking mailer after another.
At the time of press we still do not know who the winner is, but we know who the loser is going to be after surveying the signs that litter the roadway: the city.
Who do you think will be out there once the confetti and streamers have been thrown at celebration parties Tuesday night? Who has to issue the warning and stern reminders that placing signs in public property is illegal?
Sure we could make an argument that the city could better be spending its time mowing out of control lawns or any number of other tasks that neighborhoods desperately need.
Instead, we want to howl a little about how much of a low point it is for all of the politicians that put signs up in public right of way; as of Monday that included just about every major candidate for office. On Wednesday we hope to see those same candidates out there in the sun, cleaning up their mess.
