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.