Measure F supporters want to catch a thief
Jasmine Lee
Mudslinging and salvos are everyday occurrences in the war over El Toro
and its proposed airport, but now anti-airport forces have dropped a new
bombshell -- sign stealing.
“It’s become a problem,” said Leonard Kranser, a supporter of Measure F,
the anti-airport initiative. “It’s very extreme. People have been spotted
walking down the street just picking them up ... It remains to be seen if
it’s an organized effort.”
Measure F, which is designed to block the county’s plans for an airport
at the closed El Toro military base, is slated for the March 7 primary
election. If passed, it would require a two-thirds majority of votes to
approve certain county projects, such as airports, jails and landfills.
Many Newport Beach and Costa Mesa residents, who fear the county will
expand John Wayne Airport if an El Toro airport is not built, oppose the
measure.
But opponents of the initiative would not go as far as violating the law,
said Bruce Nestande, who is heading up efforts to defeat Measure F. He
said neither he nor anyone working with him has touched the signs.
“That is the height of paranoia,” he said. “I don’t know anyone who’s
going to go out and steal signs. It’s illegal.”
Still, Kranser said “Yes on Measure F” signs have been systematically
removed throughout the county, including the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa
area. He added that a sign posted in front of a home disappeared after a
rally was held across the street by El Toro advocates.
The stolen signs -- worth several thousand dollars and paid for by
volunteers’ donations -- have been reported to the Orange County
Sheriff’s Department, Kranser said.
Kranser said they are still searching for clues -- so far, they have
taken down the license plate number of a car seen driving away from a
reputed sign-lifting incident.
Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities, the pro-measure group, is also
offering as an reward the donation of $1,000 to the favorite charity of
the officer who makes an arrest.
But Nestande offered another theory to solve the case of the missing
signs.
He said regular people, not involved in any campaign, probably take down
the signs because they do not like to look at the obtrusive objects. He
also said many cities have -- and enforce -- ordinances that ban campaign
signs on public property.
Nestande contended that it is not politics driving the people who remove
the signs.
“It’s called a litter cleanup campaign,” he said.
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