unReal NEO Illegal Campaigning Signs Of The Day: Issue 666...4, Cleveland, the Heights and RTA

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 10:12.

Illegal ISSUE 6 Signs at RTA Rapid Stop at E. 120 and Euclid, Cleveland

I previously reported, in "unReal NEO Illegal Campaigning Signs Of The Day: Issue 6, in the Heights, and by RTA", dozens of Anti-Issue5/Pro-Issue-6 signs are strategically and illegally displayed at major RTA Green Line Rapid Transit stops in Shaker Heights. Last night, I confirmed there are dozens more Pro-Issue-6 signs displayed at many RTA Rapid stops in Cleveland, as well. Most telling are the signs displayed at the disgusting, near-abandoned, soon to be relocated to gentryland Red Line cum Health Line Station at Euclid and E.120th, above and below. This is the only Issue 6 promotion in this part of town, to be certain... and it is certainly being allowed, if not arranged, exclusively by RTA.

Illegal RTA Promotion for Issue 6 at E. 120th and Euclid

In this part of town, there is no love for Issue 6 - you would need a "plant" to implant your message here.

Enter the "regional", urban-core-sucking RTA to offer the perfect platforms for promoting the rotten-to-the-core suburban Issue 6, illegal as that may be.

The funny thing - well, not so funny - is that these signs are directly across from the University Circle Incorporated Police Department, and de facto UCI Sheriff Chris Ronayne is co-Chair of the Issue 6 Committee (and much-anticipated to be a beneficiary), according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I am certain the UCI Police and Chris Ronayne are fabulously trained in political sign law, as Chris has managed campaigns and UCI must keep a large quasi-public space poli-litter free... and they do.

Knowing most places are policed by police who know and enforce the law - like arresting people for putting up illegal campaign signs - the organizers for Issue 6 have clearly arranged for safe harbor for Pro-Issue-6 signs in the high commuter locations offered by RTA. Other enablers seem to be the cities of Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights and Cleveland, in certain wards.

Illegal Issue 6 Signs at RTA Shaker Square Station in Cleveland

One place where Issue 6 promotion by RTA in Cleveland is highly visible is at the Shaker Square Green and Blue Line Rapid Station, providing 1,000s of east and west bound impressions upon slowed commuters accessing downtown from the Heights and beyond... which seems to be the campaign's sweet-spot.

The dozen or so signs at this stop alone are designed to impress motorists, RTA riders, and pedestrians circling the square - a multimodal attack. The venue offers exceptional lighting and landscaped greenspaces for ideal sign presentation, truly leveraging the value of the $ millions taxpayers spend beautifying and maintaining these public places.

The Issue 6 collaboration with RTA is quite smart, as there are many places where RTA stations have prominent streetscapes, thanks to taxpayer funding... Shaker Square is on our expensive urban rail line... the E. 120 and Euclid site is on the recently upgraded $200,000,000 Health Line.

Illegal Issue 6 and Issue 4 signs at RTA property in Shaker Boulevard in Cleveland

All along the Shaker Rapid Lines, there are pockets of RTA green space, with land, with Issue 6 signs, like below... here, shared with Cuyahoga Community College's Issue 4.

As previously noted, in "unReal NEO Illegal Campaigning Signs Of The Day: Issue 6, in the Quadrangle, along with Tri-C and Issue 4", it appears the organizers of Issue 4 are also placing signs illegally, in places where there are illegal Issue 6 signs - at the Quadrangle and now here, on RTA property on Shaker Boulevard. This reinforces reason to be concerned that this illegal sign posting campaign for Issue 6 is being done in concert with illegal campaign signing for Issue 4, which funds our "community" college. Any connections between our "regional" community college, "regional" transit authority and Issue 6 regionalism campaign must be explored.

I have also previously noted that there are a uniquely large number of illegal Issue 6 signs at major automobile commuter intersections in Cleveland Heights, and further observations confirm that fact. Considering, as reported, the Mayor of Cleveland Heights is also on the board of RTA, any connections between this commuter-focused strategy and lax enforcement in Cleveland Heights and by RTA must be explored.

As many of the illegal signs on RTA property are in Cleveland, and the mayor of Cleveland appoints members of the RTA board, any connections between this commuter-focused strategy and lax enforcement in Cleveland and by RTA must be explored.

As many of the illegal signs on RTA property are in Shaker Heights, and the former mayor of Shaker Heights, Judy Rawson, is considered the Grand Mother of Issue 6, and is co-Chair of the Issue 6 Committee, any connections between this commuter-focused strategy and lax enforcement in Shaker Heights and by RTA must be explored.

The illegal posting of campaign signs is a serious issue. Just as expensive donations of money may influence an election, expensive donations of sign display space - especially as prominent as being provided by RTA, Cleveland and Cleveland and Shaker Heights - are certain to have an impact on the voters regarding Issue 6. This may be worth $ millions, to Issue 6 promoters, and throw the election in their favor.

Having these signs on public property creates a false impression RTA, Cleveland and the Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights governments officially support Issue 6, and that is not legal or possible. All these forces who are breaking our laws with our property and money work for us, the citizens.

We have here proof there are illegal signs for Issue 6, and 4, that follow patters demonstrating illegal activity. There will certainly be a paper trail connecting together all the parties behind all of this, and that should be brought forward to the public. The public should have access to the email and other communications of the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and Shaker Heights, and the board members and employees of RTA, and those organizing these campaigns - we should be able to determine who is authorizing these sign placements on public land, and instructing public law enforcement officers not to enforce the law.

With our help, let's see if government, law enforcement and the mainstream media will now do their jobs, the police will remove all these illegal signs, and we'll all determine who is behind this unReal Illegal Campaigning and bring them to justice.

Illegal Issue 6 sign below RTA sign at RTA station in Shaker Square, Cleveland

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Issue6RTA1202.JPG132.65 KB
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Issue6RTAShakerSquare.JPG142.8 KB
Issue6RTAShakerW4.JPG165.8 KB

campaign signs - now what?

From Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District: Want to clear out those political signs? You're going to have to be a good neighbor on the street. Northcoast Recycling in Wickliffe http://www.northcoastrecycling.com will only accept plastic that is bundled, not loose, (after being removed from the wire frame and separated ...from plastic core signs). It's a #4 low density polyethylene plastic (LDPE) and on some signs it says recyclable. This is the only location that will do it.

hat tip to Pat Blochowiak.

I wonder if RTA knows this and will be retrieving those signs and bundling them for recycling.

or turn them inside out

and make your own sign...

Use for Political Signs

I have a friend who cuts signs in strips, making "rag" rugs - Hose-off door mats.  Very attractive, don't skid, last forever.  I use the wires in my garden  so you can bet I'll be collecting all those on my street although I will not go into anyone's yard, taking  all those on tree lawn and in public spaces. 

oooooh! nice!

 how about weaving them into market bags....

you could save the mud mats for politicians you didn't like!