PRESS RELEASE

CHICAGO’S DIRTY POLITICS:

YARD SIGN THEFT!

By Mark Finley

March 7, 2012

If you thought dirty Politics between the Obama Campaign/Administration, and Republican candidates is bad, wait till you hear- or see - in some cases- what’s going on in the local political scene in cities like Chicago!

It seems corrupt and or Dirty Politics is very much alive and kicking on all levels of politics from bottom to top in the windy city!

One of the biggest and noticeable dirty political tactics is Yard Sign Snatching. If you noticed, yard signs are seen less and less each election season. This year, the amount of yard signs planted or at least seen on the city streets is down 50%. This is due to political opponents allies conducting -search and pull up yard sign’s missions all over the city and in some cases the suburbs.  Yard Sign Snatcher has also gone as far as to pull up & or entirely remove opponent’s signs from in front of polling places. This tactic has been implemented for years during campaign stretches across the country but has greatly increased over the past few campaigns and is more prevalent in major cities like Chicago.

One political forerunner in Chicago that is being targeted by opponent’s allies is incumbent Commissioner Patricia Horton. Patricia Horton is running for re-election for the seat of Commissioner at the Water Reclamation District in 2012. With the March primary just 2 weeks away, Commissioner Horton’s yard signs have been pulled up on a regular basis-day by day-and in some cases 5 - 10 minutes after they’ve been planted in the ground. Recently, as I toured the city, I’ve noticed the lack of Yard/Ground signs in many areas/neighborhoods where they were once dominant back in the 80’s & 90’s. Many of Horton’s signs that I spotted over the last 2 weeks have been pulled up which sparked a new strategic approach by the commissioner. Commissioner Horton’s window signs have also been removed at several business locales’s while yard & window signs from her opponents and other candidates for various seats remain at their posted locations with minimal tampering.

Today I caught up with Commissioner Horton who responded…

“This is politics as it is. What’s important is that the people know who they’re voting for.  The people of Cook County know all the good things that I’m doing for them and I’d like to continue to be your representative. I thank you for voting me 5 years ago, and since serving Cook County, I will continue to serve you and fight for cleaner water.  So if they pull the signs up that’s OK because it’s the people choice. I’m a Public servant and I’m still on the Ceda Board and sponsor free tennis lessons to our youth. I will continue to be the voice for our cook county residents.”

Now till election week, Commissioner Horton plans to strategically plant her campaign Yard/Ground signs in more specific locations where opponent’s allies cannot remove them so easily. Horton allies have also mounted neighborhood watch groups to catch yard sign theft’s in action and urges the public to report any such thefts/incursions to authorities. Commissioner Horton’s punch number is 77- as she profoundly states…”The Number of Completion”

For more information on Commissioner Horton’s Campaign and her environmental plans visit www.patriciahorton.net