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Anti-Cuomo sign placed in front of Upton Monument without permission is removed by county

By Howard B. Owens

This protest sign appeared for a time today in front of the Upton Monument at Main and Ellicott streets.

It's gone now.

The City Manager's office has the sign. If the person who placed it at the intersection wants it back and can prove ownership, it will be returned, County Manager Jay Gsell said.

"There's so many things that are not appropriate about that sign," Gsell said.

Such as: It was placed without permission; permission would need to be granted by the city, state and county; the veterans consider the location hallowed ground; nobody knows who placed the sign.

(The person in the picture is just a pedestrian who happened to be in the area at the time the picture was taken.)

kevin kretschmer

Drove by that a couple of times earlier today. My thoughts were; "glad to see guerilla marketing is still alive and well" followed by wondering how long before a govt. agency would take it down. Appears to have had the desired effect though.

Mar 5, 2014, 4:26pm Permalink
Tim Miller

So Bernie - you'd have no problems with someone putting an 8'x10' RE-ELECT COUMO!!! banner in your front yard? It's called freedom of speech, donchaknow...

;-)

But seriously - freedom of speech does not mean you can put any banner anywhere you want. Quite frankly, using this veteran memorial for political purposes is quite rude, regardless of the political leanings.

Mar 5, 2014, 4:45pm Permalink
tim raines

It's called the 1st amendment.
If it doesn't interfere with a sidewalk or street..........
No permission needed on public property and it doesn't matter if it's inappropriate or it hurts peoples feelings.

Inappropriate, permission, feelings, considered rudeness, or considered hallowed ground doesn't trump the constitution.

The county mgr should recite the law that it can't be placed there or anywhere else in Batavia.

He can't

Mar 5, 2014, 5:26pm Permalink
Christopher Putnam

I imagine the reason that the person who placed the sign, placed it here, is because its a high traffic area. Firefighter stand in the street with their boots and collect donations, political signs are placed in yards and on street corners, businesses place sandwich board signs on the sidewalk everywhere, signs are hung over the roadway for events such as the wing ding, I dont really see a difference here. The sign was taken down because someone in the gubment either was miffed that someone would do it without asking permission, -RESPECT MY AUTHORITY- lol or because they are afraid of bad publicity, or because they did not agree with the subject matter.

"Such as: It was placed without permission; permission would need to be granted by the city, state and county; the veterans consider the location hallowed ground; nobody knows who placed the sign."<------------- This is a load of sh**
Really? You need permission from 3 different, red tape loving, cumbersome governing entities? I bet you have to pay a fee too. Im sure that the veterans dont mind, they fought wars so we could have our rights.

To the person who placed the sign: DO NOT go claim ownership, they will make up some bullsh** crime to charge you with for placing it.

Mar 5, 2014, 6:27pm Permalink
Scott Blossom

For those invoking the 1st Amendment...

You say it is public land, "government owned", but the property of the people. So you think you can put up anything you desire? Get real!

Don't put a cross up, or the ACLU will fight you to a court of law!

Would you support a Swastika put up by a neo-Nazi group? A Star of David by a synagogue? The crescent and star of Islam? Signs supporting White Supremacy, or the Black Panthers? Legalization of drugs? Anti-helmet laws? Anti- seat belt laws? Pro and/or anti abortion? Pornography? Environmentalism? Conservationism? Pro gun, anti gun. The list goes on and on.

As one who put on the uniform of this nation and had my life in jeopardy defending the Constitution for the United States of America, I support them all. Whether I agree with the message or have one hand holding my nose.

Sadly that is not the case. The ACLU fights for their select causes, politicians fall in step, the courts sing in tune. The 1st Amendment gets stomped on a daily basis.

On a practical side however, no control would create utter ciaos. Permission, permits, whatever, help prevent a virtual graffiti of signs and protests. No one should be denied, no fees should be collected, but there has to be some control.

So, I have to support the County Manager on the basis of control. You can do the right thing the wrong way. Done the wrong way causes more problems than it can solve and hurt the message you are trying to put out there.

Mar 5, 2014, 9:29pm Permalink
Tim Miller

There are specific rules for the posting of those political signs we see (and see and see and see) on the sides of the roads at election time.

Now, if only candidates who fail to take them down after the election were properly cited....

Mar 6, 2014, 7:38am Permalink

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