THE AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY OF YARD SIGNS

I laugh when people who have never handled yard signs and wouldn't know a post-driver from an ashtray talk about other people's sign effort. In the first place getting the permissions and logging the data is damned hard work. Getting a crew with gear and written instructions takes some coordination. Getting a crew with a BAC of under .08 can frequently be challenge.

Once you get them up, you always find areas where you are weaker than you'd like to be. That starts another round of permission calling. Then there are always a few calls from people who gave permission and are having second thoughts (this is usually due to spousal discord and is usually an excellent indicication that divorce court is imminent.).

The next stage is always vandalism. This can be official vandalism where some mysterious authority says the sign is illegaly placed and must therefore be pulled. It can also be unofficial vandalism. With the old signs on driven poles, it used to be simply breaking the sign (took no talent at all). My old Buddy, Davey Sparks, once built an imregnable sign then hid out at a vantage point to watch the the vandals (in this case it was just kids, not Republicans) try to break it. Even though he's a very nice nice man Davey laughed until he got teared up when "One Kid damn near broke his shoulder and the sign didn't budge!" With the recent elevation of bag signs as the sign of choice, the vandalism has gone more to theft. The routine is simple (I'm sure this technique was developed by Halliburton), just put the frame of a sign, prongs down, into a garbage bag, boldly walk into the yard where the target sign has already been placed and stick your prongs down right next to the target sign. Cover the target sign with the bag, pull both frames out of the ground and carry the bag off and ditch the sign later. Go to Republican Headquarters (when there is one) and brag about how clever you are.

For some reason that I really don't understand the vandalism usually happens before the weather damage. You can just about count on, about three days before any election, there will be some severe weather event that will twist, mangle and otherwise rip up your signs. They are usually not hard to fix but it takes a concerted cruise to find and repair them.

The longer anyone has signs up the more of this kind of distress they will face. Being in charge of somebody's signs requires almost full time follow-up. I've always felt like the signmaster in any campaign ought to be allowed to take each sign as a dependent/exemption in that year's tax return. For a brief period they require as much attention as children.

Quincy is a yard sign city. Other towns, Decatur and Carbondale for examples are much less interested in yard signs. It must be some kind of cultural, John Wood thing. That puts a lot of pressure on signmasters. It's not a job for people who like to sleep late or who can't adapt quickly to changing circumstances. We have had some real professionals in their day, both parties. Dave Nuessen, in his JayCee days, was probably the best of all time for Citywide Races. For a County Board District or a Ward Race, you couldn't beat team of Davey Sparks and Jim Cookson. In Gubernatorial race, Cookson once got a yard sign placed for the opponent of the property owner's employer. George Sackett was the best in the world at getting permission on cold call to some property owner. He'd just knock on the door and ask. If he got a "yes", the sign would be up and he'd be out of there before the property owner could reconsider. Judge John Wooleyhan had the same skill. Instead of thinking "Who will let me put up a sign?", he would think 'Where do I need a sign?" Spot the house and go secure permission. No candidate ever did that better.

Anyway, to get back to my basic point, Being the signmaster is a huge job. Those signs call to the signmaster 24/7. From the time they go up until the bags, frames poles and hard signs are stored, that signmaster bears a huge weight on his or her shoulders.

When most people see a yard sign, they just see a little political advertising or a little sight pollution, depending upon attitude. Those who have been in the game, see the evidence that someone has undertaken a huge responsibility and, irrespective of political party, admire it when it's done well.