Everywhere A Sign...

I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't stand this time of year when the beautiful Fall colors of Upstate New York are marred by election signs.

Every year seems to get worse as every open space becomes contaminated with these signs. Driving down the highway they all stand at attention, one right after the other, each one looking exactly like the next. Am I the only one who gets annoyed at this clutter on the side of the highway? After awhile I don't even see them anymore; the names don't register because they become part of the landscape.

Ultimately as election time draws near we hear of some scandal where a politician's signs "have been stolen" or vandalized and it's a conspiracy. Really? This year we have gone to a new level entirely with signs instructing all of us to "Vote Them Out." What to do? What to do?

I understand the marketing ploy of saturating the area with one's name. The supposition is even if Joe Voter doesn't know what said politician stands for he will be conditioned to vote for him or her as he has seen their name everywhere. Scary concept at best...I would hate to think anyone not apprised of the facts would lend their support to something they know nothing about.

Here is a note to those who have chosen to pollute the environment with little plastic signs screaming their names: as a person living in strained economic times, I see this as a blatant waste of money. All those fliers I get in the mail from vote-seeking politicians already in office I see as a blatant waste of our money.

I don't need politicians to tell me what lousy and disreputable people their opponents are. I need them to explain to me like I am two years old what their plan is to get us out of this mess and how they propose to back up said plan. Until that time, go green and stop blocking the foliage. Right now, as New Yorkers it's all we've got.