Monday, April 01, 2013

WeeVote Violates Code



As Glass Houses aptly points out in a comment to the article about Bonnie Ketterhagen in the March 22nd edition Standard Press, the WeeVote candidates are now in violation of State Code (just like last year) for adding pink fluorescent streamers that blow in the wind to their yard signs: http://lab.southernlakesnewspapers.com/?p=8566

Glass Houses was kind enough to add a link to the pertinent Wisconsin Administrative Code section below:

Trans 201.16 Political signs.
(1) Definitions. "Political sign" means a sign erected for the purpose of soliciting support for or opposition to a candidate or a political party or relating to a referendum question in an election held under the laws of this state.
(2)Exemption. A political sign which would otherwise be subject to the permit requirement of s. Trans 201.07, is exempted if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) The sign does not exceed 32 square feet in surface area.
(b) The sign is erected entirely on private property with the property owner's consent.
(c) The sign is erected less than 45 days before the election for which it is intended and is removed within 7 days after the election except that a sign erected before a primary election may remain in place until 7 days after the next following general election if the sign solicits support for a candidate, political party or referendum question that is before the electorate in both the primary and the general election.
(d) The sign does not contain flashing lights or moving parts or in any other way fail to conform with s. 84.30 (4) (b), Stats.
(e) The sign is not erected in a location where it constitutes a traffic hazard.
History: Cr. Register, July, 1983, No. 331, eff. 8-1-83; am. (2) (e), Register, July, 1996, No. 487, eff. 8-1-96.



In the article linked above and in a letter to the editor published last week on the Standard Press website by another WeeVoter, http://burlingtonareaprogressives.blogspot.com/2013/03/weevoter-late-to-parade.html deep concern is expressed over alleged violations of Burlington's anti-littering ordinance by people distributing leaflets on public property. This prompted Andy Mitchell at the Anderson - Bousman rally Saturday to quip; "I guess that makes Koldeway and Miller the environmental candidates!"

Regardless of the green creds of the WeeVote Tea Partiers, their allegations of violations to the littering ordinance were false accusations. The WeeVote folks did call the police on us leafleteers though. One can only presume that they did so out of their great concern over major crimes like littering threatening our community. This great concern on their part and the revelation that WeeVote is now in violation of the law, has prompted Glass Houses to wonder; "Perhaps Mrs. Ketterhagen should report herself and her We Vote sponsored signs to the police."

We won't hold our breath!

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