Residents differ on merits of decorating yards, roadsides with political preferences

The Woodleys and Olives have been neighbors for several years on a quiet street in Muscle Shoals. Both families have split-level homes with pickup trucks outside and share a love of dogs.

The families look out for each other like good neighbors, but also mind their own business.

But on politics - they couldn't be more different.

Staked adjacent to pine trees in the Woodley's Republican-focused front yard are signs supporting McCain/Palin and an "I (heart) Palin" sign, along with two Wayne Parker signs.

In the Olive's Democratic-focused front lawn are signs supporting Obama/Biden and Parker Griffith.

The Republican/Democrat divide between the neighbors doesn't seem to bother them.

"I'm really surprised they're voting for Obama because they are a church-going family," said Paula Woodley, of the Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama who faces the Republican challenger Sen. John McCain in the general election two weeks from today. "I'm not against what they believe," she said of her neighbors, though she called Obama too liberal.

Delbert Olive, a retired auto-body technician, said, "I do what I want to do - I don't worry about anybody else. It's the best policy."

As the political season heats up or winds down - depending on opinion - signs remain one of the front-runners of political identification for voters, and political advertisement for candidates.

Rhea Fulmer, a Democratic candidate for Lauderdale County Commission District 1, stood up at a recent Democratic meeting and said she was dismayed by her Republican opponent, William Smith.

The concern wasn't about policies, plans or promises, but about how she believed her opponent was copying her signs - a signature white with green font.

She took issue with Smith's signs that have a similar emerald green font, outlined in yellow highlights - something Fulmer said looks like the colors used by John Deere.

At least he could have been original, Fulmer said, who accused her opponent of lifting her sign design.

"If anybody was going to complain, John Deere might," said Smith of his campaign signs, which he designed a year ago.

"I didn't think her green color is anywhere near the Kelly green or John Deere green," said Smith, who expressed surprise about his opponent's complaints.

"Nobody from John Deere has called to complain, either."

While many residents may get tired of vote-for-me signage along roadsides, a handful of residents have done something about what they call visual pollution.

"When it comes to the signs, I don't have any objections with someone littering their own yard," said Matt Osborne, who works in the customer service business. "What I object to is public space being turned into a frenetic landscape of colors and names. It becomes mental clutter."

State law prohibits signs being placed on rights of way or other state property, said Lori Lein, deputy general counsel with the Alabama League of Municipalities.

At the city level, if there are no laws on the books, there is nothing to prohibit candidates from putting signs on city property. Most municipalities in the Shoals have rules and regulations for posting signs on city-owned property.

Osborne removes from city property real estate, yard sale and even charitable signs. "I don't like to remove those," he said, but explained, "People are supposed to pay for advertising space."

Osborne is not alone in his quest for a sign-free, litter-free city.

John Crowder, an environmental engineer in Florence, also removes signs and has made several presentations to the Florence city council about the issue.

"In fact, I kinda learned from his example," said Osborne.

Osborne almost got into trouble with the law this election season after he was caught with several municipal candidate signs in his car.

"I was eyeing a Fay Parker at the time I was pulled over," Osborne said, a reference to the Democratic candidate who will be up against Republican candidate Larry McGee for the Lauderdale County District 2 seat.

"The candidates shouldn't place their property on public property. Just like if the candidate dropped an aluminum can on the sidewalk, I could pick it up."

Osborne was not charged.

The political sign issue has even had a recent court appearance. On Oct. 2, a Rogersville man was found innocent of third-degree theft charges stemming from accusations that he illegally removed a political sign from land that belonged to the town.

Regardless of where the signs are placed, Osborne recommends that candidates put only their name and the office they're seeking on the sign.

"If it shows anything more, it's kind of wasting time," Osborne said.

Cases in point are signs for 5th Congressional District candidates Democrat Parker Griffith and Republican Wayne Parker.

Both signs are simple yet bold statements showing the candidate's name, but are reverse in partisan color. Griffith's signs are Republican red while Parker's signs are Democratic blue.

Parker said when he first ran for Congress in 1993, he chose blue signs that simply stated "Parker."

"Blue is one of my favorite colors," he said. He used similar signs in 1996 for his second Congressional bid.

The third time was different. "We did put 'Wayne' across the tops," he said because of the name similarity. "Early on, it caused confusion."

Parker Griffith said that four years ago when he ran for mayor of Huntsville, a nonpartisan post, he chose red as his sign color.

"I just stuck with my color," he said. When it was pointed out that his red sign may be more associated with the GOP, Griffith said, "I never thought about it until (now)."

Griffith was attending a public safety forum and brought Larry Ayers, who is secretary treasurer of Huntsville firefighters Local 1833.

"Psychologically, the red attracts the men, the blue attracts women," Ayers said.

"Whatever," Griffith said and smiled.

Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@TimesDaily.com.