Yes, I took down the Kony 2012 signs
When I left my house on April 21, I was struck by the number of KONY 2012 signs I saw plastered all over the intersection at Muriel and Armory. It seem there were about 30 of them. They were taped to traffic lights, traffic control boxes and city owned fences in the public right of way. As I continued to drive to through town I continued to see signs--on the I-15 bridge, along Barstow Road and at the intersection of Barstow Road and Main St. Many of these signs had already been torn down and left on the sidewalk or simply fallen to the ground.
I could have continued driving, like most of us do when we see trash on the side of the street, or I could have called the city and left a message for the street department to clean up the mess. Instead, I chose to take a few minutes and clean the mess up myself. How much better would our community look if everyone would take a few minutes to pick up a little trash in the public areas of our community, rather than leaving if for someone else or the wind.
All of these signs were in the public right-of-way and none were on private property. These signs and handbills placed in the public right-of-way are prohibited and defined as litter in Barstow Muni Code chapter 6.20.350. This section provides: Any person who deposits or causes to be deposited any solid waste or recyclables on any public property, including the public right-of-way, or on private property within public view, except in a container provided therefore as herein specified, shall immediately clean up, contain, collect and remove same. This includes any indiscriminate placed advertising fliers, door-knob hangers, and trade type newspapers which create litter within the city. [Emphasis added]
Yard sale signs, pizza door hangers, and ads slipped under our windshield wipers in parking lots all violate this municipal code section prohibiting litter, because they are seldom ever collected by the people who place them, and are left as trash until public works crews pick them up.
The organizers of this "Kony event" were shocked that I and others removed their signs from the public right-of-way. However, since their group did not advertise in the newspaper or on radio, or present themselves at a city council meeting and make a formal request to place signs in the public right-of-way, how would anyone know there was an "organized group".
This group claimed the Mayor of Barstow gave them permission to place the signs, but unfortunately the Mayor does not have the authority to give anyone permission to violate the municipal code or any other law. The Mayor's authority is limited to when the City Council is seated and conducting a formal meeting--and then he has one vote, and any action before the Council requires a vote of three members.
According to the Desert Dispatch story [Mayor Gomez] thought the group had handled the event well and treated the community with respect. But I have to ask, how is violating the municipal code and trashing our public right-of-ways demonstrating respect for the community?
I'm a candidate for City Council because I want to help Barstow become better. One way for Barstow to improve is to work on the appearance of our community. We deserve a community that looks better, and one way to make that happen is for all of us to show a little community pride and pick up our trash.
Read the Desert Dispatch story here: http://www.desertdispatch.com/articles/barstow-12825-kony-makes.html
I could have continued driving, like most of us do when we see trash on the side of the street, or I could have called the city and left a message for the street department to clean up the mess. Instead, I chose to take a few minutes and clean the mess up myself. How much better would our community look if everyone would take a few minutes to pick up a little trash in the public areas of our community, rather than leaving if for someone else or the wind.
All of these signs were in the public right-of-way and none were on private property. These signs and handbills placed in the public right-of-way are prohibited and defined as litter in Barstow Muni Code chapter 6.20.350. This section provides: Any person who deposits or causes to be deposited any solid waste or recyclables on any public property, including the public right-of-way, or on private property within public view, except in a container provided therefore as herein specified, shall immediately clean up, contain, collect and remove same. This includes any indiscriminate placed advertising fliers, door-knob hangers, and trade type newspapers which create litter within the city. [Emphasis added]
Yard sale signs, pizza door hangers, and ads slipped under our windshield wipers in parking lots all violate this municipal code section prohibiting litter, because they are seldom ever collected by the people who place them, and are left as trash until public works crews pick them up.
The organizers of this "Kony event" were shocked that I and others removed their signs from the public right-of-way. However, since their group did not advertise in the newspaper or on radio, or present themselves at a city council meeting and make a formal request to place signs in the public right-of-way, how would anyone know there was an "organized group".
This group claimed the Mayor of Barstow gave them permission to place the signs, but unfortunately the Mayor does not have the authority to give anyone permission to violate the municipal code or any other law. The Mayor's authority is limited to when the City Council is seated and conducting a formal meeting--and then he has one vote, and any action before the Council requires a vote of three members.
According to the Desert Dispatch story [Mayor Gomez] thought the group had handled the event well and treated the community with respect. But I have to ask, how is violating the municipal code and trashing our public right-of-ways demonstrating respect for the community?
I'm a candidate for City Council because I want to help Barstow become better. One way for Barstow to improve is to work on the appearance of our community. We deserve a community that looks better, and one way to make that happen is for all of us to show a little community pride and pick up our trash.
Read the Desert Dispatch story here: http://www.desertdispatch.com/articles/barstow-12825-kony-makes.html
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