UPDATED BELOW: Cranky neighbors in this liberal enclave in NW Portland have demanded the City of Portland force a home owner to take down 4′ x 8′ Mitt Romney for President and a large Suzanne Gallagher for State Senate signs. Both candidates, of course, are Republicans.
The City says the homeowners must do so or will be fined.
Homeowner, Scott Niedermeyer, told KGW, “All I’m trying to do is execute my 1st amendment right. This is the United States of America, this is not communist Russia.”
No, it’s worse: It’s the People’s Republic of Portland.
City of Portland sign police have given the family till three days before the election to taken them down. If not, the City has threatened a $292 penalty and could put a lien on the house. I remind you here that Occupy Portland actually broke the law AND put up illegal signs on property they commandeered without permits and no liens were filed by the City of Portland. The City even had police officers and parks employees clean up after these slobs without sending them a bill.
Furthermore, it appears their signs actually fall within the acceptable standards of temporary banners by being smaller than 32 sq ft under City ordinance 32.62.010. see update below. This looks like an attempt to intimidate a family and viewpoint discrimination which is unconstitutional.
KGW TV was filming the Niedermeyers when a neighborhood woman, driving a ‘Pius’ with an Obama/Biden sticker, stopped to yell at the homeowner and told him “how disgusting!” the sign was. It was caught on tape by Channel 8, though I’ve yet to see it.
As I was talking to the homeowner owner, the same woman drove by again, gesticulating, gesturing and yelling at the homeowner. A few minutes later I caught up with the woman to ask why she was doing that. She immediately said the sign “is disgusting!” I asked her if it might have to do with her Obama proclivities and she said, “of course not.”
I then asked why she would presume to tell anyone what they can or cannot put in their yard. She began by telling me that alllllll the neighbors are upset with the signs and ended with, “we used to be a community here. Those signs are too big.”
“Community?” I said, ” “You’re sure not being very neighborly.”
When I informed her she should watch herself on the news at 11pm she looked surprised. She said to me, “Do you do this [question people] to everybody?” Though I did no yelling, gesticulating, gesturing or fist shaking, but merely and firmly questioned her, I told her, “I guess this gives you idea of how your neighbors feel.” She was speechless. It had never occurred to her apparently that she was a big bully.
If that were an Obama Biden sign that matched the sticker on the woman’s car this likely wouldn’t be an issue and the City wouldn’t be threatening a lien on the house. In fact, they’d be thrilled.
The City of Portland should ignore these crank yankers and stop carrying their political water.
UPDATE:
Niedermeyer tells me the City has now assured him that it won’t begin fining and putting a lien on his home till after the election.
