Keeping the Coachella Valley clear of annoying signs and advertisements seems to be a priority for our local politicians…well, unless it it their own signs.
In Palm Desert, anyone having a garage sale is told (after getting a permit) that their one tiny, city approved sign can only be posted on private property and must be taken down immediately or you will be penalized.
Meanwhile, politicians give themselves rules that are much less strict.
“What we do is we typically notify the candidate and let them know that their signs are in violation and they must be removed within a thirty day period,” said Pedro Rodriguez, code compliance division in the city of Palm Desert told KMIR. “If they’re not removed then we will try take other measures of education and try to get them to come out and remove them on their own. If they’re not removed then we can forcibly go out and remove them and store them and call them and have them come pick them up.”
Ooooooh. Store them and make them pick them up. That’s tough talk that will surely terrify any politician – which is probably why the damn signs are still up everywhere.
Palm Desert says they can fine a candidate between $50 and $100, but confessed that they usually just throw the signs away.
Now compare that with all the rules for a garage sale sign:
You will be provided with one sign once your application has been approved. Per our City code, you are allowed one sign only at the end of your block on private property. The sign must set seven feet back from the curb. Please ask for permission from the property owner. The sign may not be more than four feet above ground level, and it must be removed upon the completion of the event.
All signs must be placed on Private Property, only. Please do not post on telephone poles, stop signs, speed signs, traffic signal equipment, school signs, etc., or on any other public right-of-way. Public right-of-way is generally defined as center island/dividers and the area from the curb to seven feet back from the curb.
Yup, that’s a lot of rules to follow just to try and sell some old shoes and CDs for a dollar. But a politician can put up as many of their dumb signs as they want, wherever they want. Seems fair.
And other cities are not any better.
“The city is allowed or permitted to remove the signs and store them for thirty days, advise the candidates that we do have them in storage. If they do not pick them up, the city does have provisions to either charge them the rate of storage or dispose of the signs,” Sandra A. Johnson, city code compliance manager for the city of Rancho Mirage told KMIR.
Oh good. More strict, scary “rules” our local politicians have made to (not) police themselves.
Funny how it always seems to work out that way.
