Op/Ed: No Campaign Lawn Signs

To the Community,

I offer a friendly challenge to my fellow city council candidates to make South Lake Tahoe a “Sign Free” zone this campaign season. Whether or not they take me up on the offer, I am forgoing them and focusing my energy instead in walking neighborhoods and listening to what is on voters’ minds.

Why? First, as the leading proponent for the plastic bag ban, it feels hypocritical to call for eliminating one form of plastic waste from our landfills and introduce another in the form of lawn signs. Yes, I used them in the past. Each time the refuse company hauled them away I felt a pang of guilt for adding to waste.

As a council member I have taken strong stands in support of code enforcement efforts on non-compliant business signs, including sandwich boards. My stance reflects the data from the City’s annual poll. The public wants our business corridors to be ‘cleaned up’. While some may argue campaign signs are kitschy fun, the truth is most are visual blight. Again, I choose to keep consistent principles as an elected official.

Last, I learned as a young community organizer that what really counts to voters is contact with the candidate. In our world of texting, tweeting and YouTube, I believe it’s still true. My choice is to walk the streets, sit over coffee and chat on the phone with the voters who will decide this election. I believe they deserve to know more about me than my name on a 3x4 sign.

I hope to see you between now and November 4.

Warm regards,

Angela Swanson
(530) 318-7063