Crist’s big sign catches attention, violates code (Rules? What rules??)

[seafan]

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2006/10/crists_big_sign.html">Crist’s big sign catches attention, violates code

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer
Pctpber 23, 2006

TAMPA — The sign went up Saturday — a seven-story, full-color banner of a beaming Charlie Crist, dominating the side of a downtown office building.

The idea was to catch voters’ attention.

But it also caught the eye of Tampa’s top code enforcement official, who says the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s sign is illegal.

“We are going to cite the building owner and give them 30 days in which to move it,” Curtis Lane, Tampa’s code enforcement director, said Monday with a chuckle. “You know why I’m laughing, right?”

Because the election is 15 days away.

There was no word from the Crist campaign on whether it will take the sign down sooner to comply with the law. The campaign did not return a call about details of the agreement to hang the banner.

snip

A city ordinance requires that political banners receive a permit and limits their height to 18 feet. Lane estimated the Crist banner was at least 90 feet tall.

snip

The Crist banner, which is discernible up to 5 miles away at Raymond James Stadium, was placed on top of the gecko.

“I noticed it right off the bat,” said Sean Johnson of Tampa, as he stood across the street on the steps of the TECO Building plaza. “It’s a little over the edge if you ask me.”

snip

Charlie has a terrible case of overcompensation.

[ChiciB1]

1. About Those Rules... Maybe The Didn't think Anyone Would

notice!!! Yeppers, playing it just too cute by half... Ya got 30 days to git 'er down Charlie!

Kind feels like you knew it ALL ALONG! YOU PEOPLE are all alike and that is precisely what I DON'T LIKE!!!

[ellenfl]

2. looks like lttes to the tampa papers are in order. flood them

with objections to the law breaking. after all, crist IS attorney general and he doesn't know the law?

ellen fl

[seafan]

3. This morning, the link is now scrubbed. Yes, let's contact some editors.

This blatant power grab and GOP money fest needs to end.

Shame on Attorney General Charlie Crist. He thinks he is above the law.

Hope he is asked about this sign tonight at the debate.

[seasat]

4. I noticed that it covered the Gecko.

Isn't that symbolic? The banner of Crist covers an image that is used as a mascot for an insurance company. While this particular gecko isn't the Geico gecko, it still is an image that really represents Crist. A big attention grabbing show covering up his real image.

[seafan]

5. Here's a new link from the St. Pete Times today:

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/24/Hillsborough/Sign_catches_attentio.shtml">Sign catches attention, violates code


It's always *in your face* with these people. I honestly don't know how this country will survive if we do not throw these ba$tard$ out.

All of them.


Meanwhile, Li'l Boots is stamping his little feet around Sarasota and Boca Raton today, campaigning, trying to shore up a crumbling dike.

I bet Karl Rove is mighty tired these days.

[seafan]

6. Illegal Crist banner still hanging over 7 stories of Tampa high-rise

Crist still hanging out on Tampa high-rise as legal wrangle goes on




By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published October 25, 2006

A 70-foot-tall Charlie Crist banner continued to smile from a high-rise office building Tuesday, a day after a city code official called it illegal.

The Republican Party of Florida, which paid for the banner to tout Crist for governor, won't say if it will stay up.

"We're not going to get into that one way or the other, because it would go to strategy," said Jeff Sadosky, a party spokesman.

Tampa code enforcement director Curtis Lane said the banner lacks a permit and exceeds the 18-foot height limit for political banners. Tuesday morning, the city hand-delivered a notice of violation to the Wilson Co., said Santiago Corrada, the city's neighborhood services administrator.

The Wilson Co. owns the building. Company president Carolyn Wilson, who approved the banner, did not return a call seeking comment. The city says she has 30 days to remove the banner. The election is less than two weeks away.

snip

On Tuesday, City Attorney David L. Smith said it may be allowed as a "temporary banner," even though it does not conform to the code regarding political signs.

snip

Anyone out there still believe that this breed of Republicans will ever abide by laws?

[soup]

7. Another one went up yesterday.

Crist visages are reverberating

Another sign goes up on a Tampa building, to the chagrin of some.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published October 25, 2006

>snip<
Crist, state attorney general, whose job is to interpret and ensure state law is upheld, has not answered repeated requests for comment on whether he thinks the party’s signs bearing his image should remain.

The whole thing angers George Durfee , a St. Petersburg resident and registered Republican. He called the Times to say he had cast an absentee vote for Crist, and now wishes he hadn’t.

“The man is the attorney general of the state of Florida, and he knew and his people knew the laws before they put up that big thing on the building,” Durfee said.

“It’s almost like he shows no respect of the law for doing that. I really question the man’s integrity. He should be ashamed.”
>snip<
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/25/State/Crist_visages_are_rev.shtml

Beyond the illegality of these latest intrusions into our lives, I'm beginning to wonder also if there is such a thing as 'overkill' even within the party.

I'm deleting campaign calls for Crist least twice a day from our answering machine. (There are no Republicans in our household - never was. We're all registered Democrats, still the calls come.) Our mailbox is stuffed daily with glossy political flyers. Turn on the tv, and invariably, at least once an hour, a 'have you seen Jim Davis?' commercial. Street corners bear large 'in your face' Crist signs everywhere we go.

It's gone from novel, through mildly irritating and has reached a point of being obnoxiously intrusive. Feel like shouting, 'Shut up, already!'

Here's to hoping everyone is as sick of his name as I am...


edit to box article.

[seafan]

8. I agree, soup. It's as if the GOP is committing suicide before our e...

It's beyond bizarre.

[seafan]

9. Here is a photo of both in the same area.

[soup]

12. Thanks for the pic.

Besides being illegal, that's just downright creepy.

[riona]

14. Reminds me of

those huge third world dictator pics

[seafan]

10. St. Pete Times: Crist defends illegal campaign signs

Crist likes view from atop Tampa buildings

As he looks down on the competition, the top lawman defends illegal campaign signs.

By KEVIN GRAHAM and JANET ZINK
Published October 26, 2006

Charlie Crist says he likes the way he looks, dominating downtown Tampa’s landscape on giant banners placed two blocks apart.

“It looks like good advertising to me,” the Republican candidate for governor told the St. Petersburg Times on Thursday, as a week of debate over the legality of his signs waged on.
He stands with the Florida Republican Party’s explanation that the banners are “only temporary” and not restricted by city ordinances if they come down in 30 days, even though code enforcement officials called the banners illegal and the city attorney has backed the ruling.

“I think they should come down when the requirement is, which is within 30 days, from what I’ve read in your paper,” Crist said.
Tampa officials say the banners, paid for and placed by the state GOP, were illegal when they went up, and a 30-day window is standard for property owners to comply with the law after being cited. The Nov. 7 election is 11 days away.

But the attorney general may now face a more pressing deadline.

The city of St. Petersburg entered a violation in its system Thursday for an oversized Crist banner at the Grady Pridgen industrial complex, 2003 Gandy Blvd.

snip

As for the illegal signs in Tampa, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis called the decision to take them down a simple one.
“The attorney general is supposed to enforce the law, not break the law,” Davis said. “Repeat offenses are particularly bad, and now we have repeat offenses. Three strikes, and you’re out.”
The Florida Democratic Party added to the criticism, releasing a statement saying Crist, “the top elected law enforcement official in the state, apparently has no regard for the law.”

Tampa officials on Thursday said the Crist signs violate not just codes regulating political signs, but also rules regarding the size of wall signs.

snip

This GOP is just out of freaking control.

[soup]

11. You are quick!

Was going to post this, but don't have to. Thank you. :hi:

from the article:

>>Council member Rose Ferlita agreed.

In the case of political signs, the 30-day rule is “enforcement for naught,” she said.
Ferlita, a Republican who supports Crist in his run for governor, said whether to remove the signs immediately is a “judgment call” for the attorney general.

But she noted that earlier this year, she immediately removed her own campaign signs placed illegally by overzealous supporters in city right of way.

“All I can do is stick to my standards. I can’t tell anyone else what to do,” Ferlita said. “Charlie Crist has to be guided by his own decisions.”<<

He's breaking the law. They know he's breaking the law. Yet she supports him and it comes down to 'it's a judgment call' and 'he has to be guided by his own decisions'.

Stupid, stupid people. Hello? Is anybody home?

[seafan]

13. It's three illegal signs now--- 2 on Tampa buildings, 1 in St. Pete.

Behavior such as this from our *Attorney General*, no less, demonstrates an ethical vacuum that insults the dignity of honorable people.


Jeb and Charlie.

We're prying Jeb out of Tallahassee in 36 days.

We can banish Charlie Crist in 11 days.


:hi: carry on!

[seasat]

15. It looks like they are coming down, finally.

Apparently these signs were not having the desired effect. Instead of being viewed as the benevolent Crist looking down on it's flock, people found them to be a display of arrogance. Many were turned off (and probably creeped out). I know a few who were leaning towards Crist and instead voted for Jim Davis over those signs.

Wow! Who'd have thunk it? Republicans and arrogance. :sarcasm:

I heard that James Dobson came out and said "No, I meant a 90 ft Christ...not Crist".

The best comment I saw was on the St Pete Times Buzz. Someone asked where they could get one these signs because their blue tarp was getting old.

[seafan]

16. 'Some questioned why FL's top law enforcement official would tolerate these violations.....'

'...but that's not why the signs are coming down.'

:rofl: :eyes:



Times photo: Bill Serne
Huge campaign signs which violate city codes in Tampa and St. Petersburg will be removed, a Crist campaign spokesperson says.



Crist signs coming down October 27, 2006


From March on Politics, October 27, 2006

From Michael Fechter: Charlie Crist won’t be looking over those of us who live and work in downtown Tampa anymore. The Republican Party of Florida confirms it is taking down two building-sized banners touting Crist as “the people’s governor” on covering most of two downtown office buildings.

Code enforcement officials determined the signs violated restrictions on the size of wall signs. A similar banner appeared in St. Petersburg.

“The attorney general’s campaign has asked us to take the signs down in an abundance of caution we agreed to comply,” said Jeff Sadosky, spokesman for the Republican Party of Florida.

The first sign, a 50-by-85 footer went up last weekend. City officials sent a notice the sign was illegal on Tuesday. The next day, a 60-by-60 foot banner went up at 601 N. Ashley Drive. Some questioned why the state’s top law enforcement officer would tolerate signs supporting him that violated local codes.

But that’s not why the signs are coming down, Sadosky said.

Their discussions with lawyers and the sign company led to a conclusion everything was in compliance.

The attention the controversy generated helped, too, he said.

“So much of the feedback that we got up here was positive. It was a good opportunity as people were seeing the signs to remind them of the election.”

:puke:

[seafan]

17. Multistory Crist Sign Slated To Be Removed Today (Oct 30)----GOP dragging feet

Multistory Crist Sign Slated To Be Removed Today

By JULIE PACE
The Tampa Tribune

Published: Oct 30, 2006

snip

The signs, touting Crist as "the People's Governor," were put up last weekend by the Republican Party. The party received two violation orders from city code officials which said the 50-by-85-foot and 60-by-60-foot signs were illegal.

While the party maintains the signs are legal, the banners are being removed at the request of the Crist campaign.

A third sign in St. Petersburg also is being removed.

The Republican Party has been working to remove the signs as quickly as possible, spokesman Jeff Sadosky said. However, he said it takes time to coordinate the people and equipment needed for the removal.

"As you can imagine, there are not a plethora of options in getting those things down," he said.

These people are sick in the head. There is no other conclusion.