Friday, September 5, 2014

Is bigger better? Uproar over political signs

9/5/2014


Photo: 
Some say bigger is better and if getting your name out during election season is the objective, then Democratic Candidate for County Judge Joe Rivera has the right idea. He’s posted a giant sign at several spots throughout Brownsville, including one near 7th Street and frontage.
Supporters of the Republican Incumbent Carlos Cascos, said the signs are too big as per city ordinance - and are therefore illegal. 
Cascos' Chief of Staff Chris Valadez emailed the City of Brownsville regarding his concern about the possible unfair advantage.
“We just want to know if the city's not going to enforce it, to let us know, so we can put up signs of that size," Valadez said.
The city's political sign ordinance states a sign must meet a list of seven criteria to be considered a political sign-  and calls for a sign to be no larger than 8 feet - and while the difference between Rivera’s signs and all other signs around it is obvious - a city spokeswoman said there's more research that needs to be done in order to determine if these signs violate any criteria of the city's signage ordinance.
Rivera said this size of signs were used during the last run-off election, by several justice of the peace candidates, without any issues.
He is not taking the signs down unless Brownsville city officials demand the signs be removed.
“We took it for granted, because if they were used in the run-off elections and they were all over the city of Brownsville and nobody told them it was illegal, I felt and we felt, right - that it was ok," Rivera said.
The judge's race is shaping-up to be a close race and Valadez said he just wants an even playing field, especially in the eyes of voters.
"Marketing is everything,  you have to get your name out there and the bigger the sign the more views you're going to get,” Valadez said. “It's the (voters) that don't normally go out and vote all the time, consistently- those are the (voters) that may be swayed by the bigger sign or more visible sign," Valadez said.


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