Before you plant a yard sign in an obviously residential area, you might want to check with the homeowner first… especially if one of your opponent’s signs is already present.
When I headed out to the store about 6:00 this morning, I found four (!) new Rodney Archer signs in my yard. Now Rodney seems like a nice young fella, but I’m a longtime fan of Patsy Stair and after meeting John, I think that his experience and knowledge (combined with Patsy’s support) will be an asset to the Trustee’s office.
That, and several of Archer’s votes on commission were not exactly to my liking. That has nothing to do with his qualifications for Trustee, but any candidate with a record of doing, saying, or voting for things that are anti-Oak Ridge will have a tougher time earning my support.
That’s just the way it is.
I’ll contact Rodney today and tell him where he can pick up his signs; after all, they are expensive, he needs them, and I bear him no malice. In fairness, that particular corner of my yard gets excellent exposure to traffic, and could be mistaken for a vacant lot because it is heavily wooded.
It’s not the first time this year it has happened, and it generally tends to be candidates who are new — at least to Oak Ridge. The signs may well have been put up by a volunteer, and he may not even know that it happened.
Still, a prudent policy for political signs would be to just not plant them except with permission.
Bos and I have been helping to put up signs around Oak Ridge (for Rodney Archer, no less!). I went to high school with him and appreciate his stance on making it easier for Oak Ridgers to make tax payments.
Putting signs in a residential neighborhood is tricky business, because you never quite know where property lines are. For that reason, we have pretty much stayed out of residential neighborhoods unless we know the folks and/or have asked permission. Why risk it?
So, I guess this means that there wouldn’t be much point in asking you if we could place an Archer sign in your yard, right? 🙂
Yard signs are tricky business just about anywhere. Even on public property, they’re subject to being taken down (although I’ve never deciphered the whimsical nature of how they decide what goesa and what stays).
I’m not mad, and was very polite in my e-mail to him this morning. I’ve put the signs in a safe and easy to get to place so that he can use them elsewhere.
Having put up a few yard signs myself, I would much rather someone return them in good condition than throw them away.
Just a side note, Mr. Archer is being pushed by Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Lynch. Don’t forget Mr. Lynch and Mr. Beauchamp recruited him in his run for County Commission.
I don’t care if you “approve” (see below, lol) this or not, but campaign signs are a bit of a “paign” for the ORFD. When the sign gurus (I won’t use the other term) take them down, the signs are “stored” in the Central Fire Station (3), 333 Tuskegee Drive, dumpster enclosure. Niether the gurus who leave them nor the campaigners who retrieve them are very tidy, and ORFD firefighters, verily firefighters worldwide, are known for their tidiness. The City has sought solutions for the storage of signs removed for whatever reason, thank the Lord that’s not my job, but this is what is done now. Not to give anyone any ideas, but campaign signs have also been set ablaze, with little other effect, but the storage is the real problem.
Mack Bailey, Chief, ORFD, mbailey@cortn.org
Thanks for the info AT2. Mr. Archer dropped by my house early this past week to press the flesh. My general opinion of him was that he seemed like a nice young guy and had really white teeth. Both positives btw.
Knowing that he has anything to do with Beauchamp helps me make up my mind how I will vote for that particular office.
AT2,
This is admittedly the first year I’ve really paid any bit of attention to local politics. I don’t know a lot of the history. But I’ve heard enough about Beauchamp from many diverse sources to know that I’d rather not see him or his cronies in any position of power ’round here.
Could you elaborate on your previous comment about Rodney Archer? I’d like to know in what way Archer is being pushed by Lynch & Beauchamp, and how it came to be that he was recruited for County Commission. How does John Stair/the Stair Family fit in with the Beauchamp crowd? Thanks!
I apologize for taking so long to respond I didn’t realize someone had asked me a question. Mrs. Eaves, if you are already putting up Archer signs I have strong doubts that you’d be convinced by my observations or opinion.
The only response that I offer is that I have watched Mr. Lynch and Mr. Beauchamp since Mr. Lynch was first elected and it is an open secret that Mr. Lynch, Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Phillips initiated recruitment of new office seekers for county commission after Mr. Lynch was elected. They held townhall type meetings at the Anderson County Highschool for the expressed purpose of finding like minded office seekers. Mr. Lynch and Mr. Beauchamp supported Mr. Archer in his run for county commission against the incumbents.
I suggest you ask those whose opinions you trust for more information. Also you should keep in mind that party labels mean very little to Mr. Beauchamp, Mr. Lynch or Mr. Layton. They were all democrats before they became republicans.
One other thing I forgot and that is that John Stair is definitely not part of Mr. Lynch’s brand of Republicans. As a matter of fact they made sure he had a couple of primary opponents.
Yes, AT2 I’d also like for some elaboration about Archer’s alleged Beauchamp connections.