Candidates Support Voluntary Sign Ban

Have the  flood waters receded for good? 

Photographs  Take a Ride Candidate Check List     Top 10 Excuses for Having Political Signs on Scenic Drive  Let the Parties Know

July 19, 2002

"Please take down your political signs!"  We have asked as nicely as we can, and we repeated the request. That's all we could do. The rest was up to the candidates.  It has not been easy but thanks to the work of Friends' volunteers none of  the more than 50 candidates now running for various federal and state offices are now participating in the voluntary ban of political signs on the Scenic Drive.  

Friends of the Scenic Drive thanks all the candidates who have for responded to our requests  and are not posting campaign signs along the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive (northern Scottsdale Road, from Happy Valley Road to Carefree Highway).  The Scenic Drive, which celebrates desert plants, is part of our heritage.   Special thanks to Carl Schneider, Friends volunteer, who worked the phones, fax and e-mail to ensure the participation of candidates.  It's time-consuming and frustrating work.

 By reducing visual pollution, candidates are showing their respect for our desert, visitors and local history.  And, they are demonstrating that campaign rhetoric is backed by preservation action.  If the ban succeeds and people like the result, it could be extended to other roads in future elections.

 The voluntary ban was initiated by Friends of the Scenic Drive with the support of the Scottsdale City Council six elections ago.  Since the ban was initiated only one candidate has ignored the ban. He lost.  Unfortunately, in the state-wide election season that is just beginning, several candidates are ignoring the ban. 

The relatively few political signs that were been posted on the Scenic Drive have been removed.  The plant identification signs now have much less competition for the attention of visitors driving along Scottsdale Road. 

Now, the Bad News

Right now the bad news - political signs - has been hauled away in pickup trucks and SUVs. If you miss the signs, head south and you'll see them enjoying a new scene, posted on some hapless corner.  Frankly, we are holding our breath because new ones can sprout at any time. We feel like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dike.  There are still a few signs on intersection streets within 100' (the width of a scenic setback) of Scottsdale and we will be asking the candidates to move those. 

Take a Ride

Take a ride on the Scenic Drive (Scottsdale Road from Carefree Highway to power lines north of Happy Valley Road) and enjoy a roadside without campaign signs  Be sure to bring the Checklist with you.

When you’ve completed your trip, pick up the telephone.  Thank candidates who have not posted signs. If any candidates  have signs up, please ask them when they will be joining the Scenic Drive sign ban.  If the community and its leaders really care, we can prevent our desert roadways from becoming  pollution road-kill.   

 Candidate Check List

Who is playing fair? Who is supporting our effort to reduce visual pollution along the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, established in 1963? 

We have not listed the candidates who are running for judgeships and school superintendent (their names are not listed on the Web sites of the two parties), but we thank them too..

U.S. House of Representatives, District 5 Race

All candidate are now participating. Thank you.

Governor's Race

All candidates are now complying. Thank you.

State Senate - District 7

All candidates in this race are participating. Thank you.  

State House - District 7

All candidates are now participating. Thank you.

State House - District 8

All candidates are now participating. Thank you!

Top 10 Excuses  for Having Political Signs on the Scenic Drive

When residents contact us about the signs, we get in touch with the offenders. Here are some of their reasons for not participating in the ban. 

1. “My wife just had a baby and I don’t have time to take the signs down.”

2.  “My opponent has more money.”

3.  “If I get elected, Friends of the Scenic Drive will be better off.”

4.  “I don’t have anybody to take it down for n days.”  (Where n = 1 to 30)

5.  “Your only one person, why should I comply.” 

6.  “I didn’t know I had signs out there.”

7.  “Why should your part of town be free of political signs? Everybody else has them.” 

8. “My volunteer put them there. It’s a north Scottsdale, south Scottsdale thing with him.”

9.  “Gee, I thought they had taken it down.”

10.  “I didn’t know about the ban.”  (We understand, but now you know. Please help us reduce visual pollution along the Scenic Drive.)

Let the Political Parties Know

We hope you  will also let the parties know about the ban. Candidates in both parties ignored the ban, primarily because they did not know about it. Our job would be simplified if the parties told the candidates about the ban before the campaigns started. . Here are the party Web sites. At these sites you will find email addresses and other contact information for the candidates. 

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