OURPLAN
08-30-2007, 02:33 PM
Too early to sign on: Posters plugging presidential hopeful Ron Paul pulled down
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
By TANYA DROBNESS
of The Montclair Times
Several home-made campaign signs for Texas Republican presidential hopeful, Ron Paul, briefly sprouted along Valley Road and almost as quickly were uprooted in the rainy morning hours, Tuesday, August 21. Staff photo by Adam Anik.
It is 166 days before New Jersey’s presidential primary election on Feb. 5.
It is 106 days before it’s legal to start posting political propaganda on public streets.
But a Ron Paul supporter couldn’t wait.
This past Tuesday morning, white posters scrawled with the presidential hopeful’s name in royal blue paint were found leaning against or nailed to telephone poles along Valley Road.
It seems that someone, or a group of people, has begun hammering an early grassroots campaign in an unorthodox fashion throughout parts of Montclair, hoping to catch the attention of voters.
But that could get the responsible party in trouble with municipal officials.
Political campaign signs can be placed no earlier than 60 days before an election, according to the signage ordinance of the municipal Zoning Code. Whoever is promoting the Republican congressman may face fines or incar-ceration.
Code enforcement officers began pulling down the Ron Paul placards by mid-morning Tuesday, according to Frank Leslie, township director of Administration, Code Enforcement and Environmental Affairs.
“We’re trying to determine at this point the origin of the signs,” said Leslie, adding that Paul posters were also found on Brookfield Road and Watchung Avenue. “Once we identify them, we will serve them with a summons in violation of the signage ordinance.”
One of the signs was found leaning against a telephone pole near the front lawn of the WanderPolo Law firm on Valley Road, stating: “Balance Budgets – Ron Paul.”
The Texas Republican is against tax increases, is known as vocal critic of the Iraq war, and is a strong opponent of amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Attorney Mary WanderPolo said the posters were not posted outside of her firm on Monday. “I’ve never seen them until this [Tuesday] morning. No one here put them up,” WanderPolo said.
Chase Wyatt, 21, an economics student and legal assistant at the firm, says he sees this “graffiti” style propaganda in the halls of his college campus, calling it an exclusive method of student poster making.
That’s why he was surprised to see a similar campaign plug on the streets of Montclair this past Tuesday after realizing the poster was promoting a presidential hopeful. It gains attention, he acknowledged.
“If you make it grungy and industrial, the people will come,” Wyatt said.
This is the work of an independent grassroots supporter, surmised Communications Director Jesse Benton of the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign.
“That is some independent spontaneous supporter putting them up. We have quite a few folks across the country doing similar types of things. We are certainly appreciative of the support, but we can’t and don’t monitor the inde-pendent push of supporters. That is their free will. We don’t have involvement in that,” Benton told The Times.
While Paul has staffers organized in 10 states, including California, New Hampshire and Iowa, there is no bureau or campaign headquarters yet in Montclair or anywhere else in New Jersey, Benton said.
He added that it is likely a campaign committee will be organized this autumn in the Garden State.
However, local GOP party members, unfamiliar with Paul’s platform, said the candidate does not have a noticeable following in Montclair, and that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a more popular prospect.
“I had to rack my brain to think about who he was,” said Montclair Republican Club President Murray Stearns.
Stearns added that the club had nothing to do with the posters.
The Montclair Republican County Committee also had no affiliation with the signs, according to Jean Kenwood, president of the committee.
“We had nothing to do with it, you can be sure of that.”
When asked who he is supporting for president, Kenwood responded, “At this point I am not prepared yet to endorse someone.”
He added that the committee plans to announce its support for one of the presidential hopefuls by the end of this year.
The Montclair Democratic County Committee also has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate.
Montclair Democratic Party Chairman Brendan Gill said, “As a committee, we won’t endorse anyone in the primary. It’s been the tradition of past Montclair Democratic chairs to allow each county committee member to endorse whoever they want to in primaries,” Gill said.
“All members of the committee will rally behind the winner of our primary.”
Contact Tanya Drobness at drobness@montclairtimes.com.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
By TANYA DROBNESS
of The Montclair Times
Several home-made campaign signs for Texas Republican presidential hopeful, Ron Paul, briefly sprouted along Valley Road and almost as quickly were uprooted in the rainy morning hours, Tuesday, August 21. Staff photo by Adam Anik.
It is 166 days before New Jersey’s presidential primary election on Feb. 5.
It is 106 days before it’s legal to start posting political propaganda on public streets.
But a Ron Paul supporter couldn’t wait.
This past Tuesday morning, white posters scrawled with the presidential hopeful’s name in royal blue paint were found leaning against or nailed to telephone poles along Valley Road.
It seems that someone, or a group of people, has begun hammering an early grassroots campaign in an unorthodox fashion throughout parts of Montclair, hoping to catch the attention of voters.
But that could get the responsible party in trouble with municipal officials.
Political campaign signs can be placed no earlier than 60 days before an election, according to the signage ordinance of the municipal Zoning Code. Whoever is promoting the Republican congressman may face fines or incar-ceration.
Code enforcement officers began pulling down the Ron Paul placards by mid-morning Tuesday, according to Frank Leslie, township director of Administration, Code Enforcement and Environmental Affairs.
“We’re trying to determine at this point the origin of the signs,” said Leslie, adding that Paul posters were also found on Brookfield Road and Watchung Avenue. “Once we identify them, we will serve them with a summons in violation of the signage ordinance.”
One of the signs was found leaning against a telephone pole near the front lawn of the WanderPolo Law firm on Valley Road, stating: “Balance Budgets – Ron Paul.”
The Texas Republican is against tax increases, is known as vocal critic of the Iraq war, and is a strong opponent of amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Attorney Mary WanderPolo said the posters were not posted outside of her firm on Monday. “I’ve never seen them until this [Tuesday] morning. No one here put them up,” WanderPolo said.
Chase Wyatt, 21, an economics student and legal assistant at the firm, says he sees this “graffiti” style propaganda in the halls of his college campus, calling it an exclusive method of student poster making.
That’s why he was surprised to see a similar campaign plug on the streets of Montclair this past Tuesday after realizing the poster was promoting a presidential hopeful. It gains attention, he acknowledged.
“If you make it grungy and industrial, the people will come,” Wyatt said.
This is the work of an independent grassroots supporter, surmised Communications Director Jesse Benton of the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign.
“That is some independent spontaneous supporter putting them up. We have quite a few folks across the country doing similar types of things. We are certainly appreciative of the support, but we can’t and don’t monitor the inde-pendent push of supporters. That is their free will. We don’t have involvement in that,” Benton told The Times.
While Paul has staffers organized in 10 states, including California, New Hampshire and Iowa, there is no bureau or campaign headquarters yet in Montclair or anywhere else in New Jersey, Benton said.
He added that it is likely a campaign committee will be organized this autumn in the Garden State.
However, local GOP party members, unfamiliar with Paul’s platform, said the candidate does not have a noticeable following in Montclair, and that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a more popular prospect.
“I had to rack my brain to think about who he was,” said Montclair Republican Club President Murray Stearns.
Stearns added that the club had nothing to do with the posters.
The Montclair Republican County Committee also had no affiliation with the signs, according to Jean Kenwood, president of the committee.
“We had nothing to do with it, you can be sure of that.”
When asked who he is supporting for president, Kenwood responded, “At this point I am not prepared yet to endorse someone.”
He added that the committee plans to announce its support for one of the presidential hopefuls by the end of this year.
The Montclair Democratic County Committee also has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate.
Montclair Democratic Party Chairman Brendan Gill said, “As a committee, we won’t endorse anyone in the primary. It’s been the tradition of past Montclair Democratic chairs to allow each county committee member to endorse whoever they want to in primaries,” Gill said.
“All members of the committee will rally behind the winner of our primary.”
Contact Tanya Drobness at drobness@montclairtimes.com.