Sign vandalism inappropriate
By Lethbridge Herald on November 29, 2024.
LEAVE IT TO BEEBER
Al Beeber – Lethbridge Herald
The video on Facebook last week that showed a person pulling out John Middleton-Hope’s campaign signs from a boulevard should be disheartening to anyone who believes the battle to win the Lethbridge West by-election should be carried out at the ballot box.
Some, however, probably cheered the act as one of freedom of expression and justified anarchy as others might if Rob Miyashiro’s signs were vandalized.
In the most recent recent provincial election, some signs of NDP candidate and incumbent MLA Shannon Phillips were destroyed in a quiet neighbourhood near Nicholas Sheran Park, a story I covered.
Nobody who supports either the UCP or NDP candidate should celebrate or cheer on the destruction of campaign signs.
As former mayor Chris Spearman eloquently expressed in a letter to the editor last Saturday, westside residents who want their opinion known need to vote in the byelection on Dec. 18. And Election Day at a polling station is the time and place to express an opinion, not by vandalism.
As I’ve previously written – and took heat for in other letters to the editor – I’ve made the decision not to vote which is my also my right as a resident of this country. Those who died fighting for our freedom in two world wars also fought for that right. And as a working journalist, I’m in a different position than others – while I’m entitled to vote, I don’t want my objectivity questioned.
The type of contempt shown the UCP’s candidate is an act of profound disrespect for the election process. And it would be if Middleton-Hope supporters engaged in payback against Miyashiro.
Knowing both candidates as I do, I know neither would endorse such disgusting behaviour. John and Rob are both men of character; while they stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum, both are deeply committed to public service and what they feel are the best interests of city residents. Vandalism isn’t.
Both men have shown their commitment to community through their terms on city council, where unlike those who pull signs from the ground or vandalize them with box cutters, they’ve publicly faced their critics and the electorate.
Neither would support any nefarious actions against their counterparts because both know such actions disparage the credibility of their campaigns.
Which such behaviour does. The actions of a few can easily be interpreted as the opinions of others even if just one person goes rogue and such actions could mobilize people to show their own opinion at the ballot box to spite the vandals.
That’s a matter Middleton-Hope and Miyashiro need to think about during the final weeks of the campaign – public perception of them could take a hit if undecided voters or casual party supporters take umbrage to acts of bullying and criminality.
In coming weeks, voters will have the chance to state their opinions.
Regardless of what people think of John or Rob or their parties, they need to let the candidates do the battling for the seat on their own terms, not aided or disrupted by pointless acts of vandalism.
The fight is at the ballot box, not on boulevards, private property or where ever the two candidates may choose to put signs or promote their campaigns.
AND ON ANOTHER NOTE: This week has been a particularly exhausting one with the two days of Economic and Finance SPC meetings focused on the third party review of the Lethbridge & District Exhibition.
As you’ve read through my extensive coverage, residents could be on the hook for a higher increase in property taxes in 2025, the reasons for which were clearly explained by City administration this week.
With council to address a resolution to accept the recommendation to increase taxes more on Dec. 10, and the fact Deloitte’s report is now in the hands of Lethbridge Police Service, the LDE story is now truly just beginning to unfold.
This is going to be a story you’ll potentially be reading about for months to come and one you’ll personally be dealing with for longer. I’ll be taking a look at this situation hopefully more indepth next week unless I get side-tracked like a dog after a new scent.
But for now I’d like to thank City administration for providing we media and the public with hard copies in council chambers of the the third party review as well as the City’s response.
Those documents were of much value during my coverage of the SPCs this week and will come in handy for much longer as this situation continues to unfold.
This is the type of transparency the public expects from the City and the co-operation we media need to do our jobs.
And I appreciate the mayor and City officials for taking time out of deliberations this week to promptly and frankly talk about the LDE financial problems which began publicly emerging late last year.
This is a no-win situation for the City as well as taxpayers given the many millions of dollars involved which administration made clear as the discussions unfolded Tuesday and Wednesday in council chambers.
If this isn’t the story of the year for southern Alberta media outlets I don’t know what will be. And it will certainly be one of the easiest I’ve had to write given how long I’ve been covering it.
27-26
Sign vandelism was not the action of a child, and these irresponsible adults should be prosecuted!
This is NOT the first election where the NDP reprobates have defaced, damaged, mutilated and removed campaign signs!
There is little the police can or will do regarding this behaviour even when those responsible have been recorded and identified.
The NDP “posse” have already gone around the London Road area removing UCP signs from properties and in some cases erecting their NDP signage where it was not requested.
Remember you irresponsible NDP individuals, “Signs don’t vote” constituents do!”…. Having said this, too bad for Rob Miyashiro as he will not be able to vote in the byelection, because he is NOT a resident of the Lethbridge West Constituency