Our campaign has thousands of yard signs throughout the 55th District. We enjoy giving them to supporters so they can show their support. Really, yard signs are more important to my supporters than they are to our campaign.
Today we received countless calls from our supporters saying their yard signs are being stolen. One such call from a voter included a video of the illegal act caught on camera.
Our campaign does not expend resources to engage in sign wars and instead will continue to talk to voters directly about key issues our opponent continues to remain silent on, like her opposition to a ban on AR-15’s and wish to defund Planned Parenthood.
If these acts are being committed with knowledge of the Smolenski campaign, it is sadly not the least bit surprising.
On top of Terra Costa Howard’s repeated lies, her team of 6+ paid “Madigoons” regularly steal yard signs. Now, this video from yesterday proves they’re stealing literature off your front door. Say NO to Terra Costa Howard and her Dirty Politics (paid for by Madigan’s Dirty Money)!
If you had any doubt that there’s been enough campaigning and it’s time to vote, the race for 6th District congressman in the western suburbs now is focusing on who swiped whose yard signs.
From a statement from incumbent Republican Peter Roskam: “Every day, local residents are calling the Roskam campaign office reporting yard signs stolen from their property or destroyed . . . To date, 350 Roskam for Congress yard signs have been reported stolen or lost. The sign theft dramatically increased since Roskam first called on (Democratic nominee Sean) Casten to stop his supporters’ shameful tricks. Casten’s response? Crickets.”
In 30 years of covering politics, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a sitting member of Congress send out a press release talking about yard signs. But back to that breathless release, which continues that an offending sign snatcher actually was caught on tape mumbling about moving the sign 20 miles away. It concludes, what else could be expected from a campaign like Casten’s that seeks not “bipartisanship and engaging constructively” but employs “hateful rhetoric.”
Responds the Casten camp, “We don’t steal signs. Period. And we don’t condone those who do, including those who have been stealing our signs—which have been disappearing as well. Peter Roskam is losing, and these kinds of wild accusations prove it.”
Never got the appeal of taking yard signs, considering how some of my neighbors freak out about anything and how many may be armed it just seems kind of stupid.
Now taking the door hanger in the age of video doorbells and wireless cameras is truly stupid. Not going to lie, if it was my house and someone came to my front door and took a door hanger off I would want the cops to talk to them.
I have yard signs swiped before, even had the house egged (that made me mad), but taking something off my front door seems personal. It’s my house.
As an experienced door-to-door walker, all people campaigning should assume every home has some type of security camera. If it’s not the home on which you are knocking, it’s the camera across the street.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:04 pm:
Please take my literature. Park it in the recycle bin.
Uh, you “would want the cops” if someone “took a door hanger off”?
You must have a nice life.
My car has been stolen. Car smashed into three separate times. Items stolen from the porch, yard or garage many times.
There have been shootings on the block. Gang graffiti on the playground. Drug dealing around the corner. The guy next door committed suicide. The woman across the street died of a heroin OD in the house. With her toddler there.
Do the people filming and posting these videos have the consent of all parties to record their conversations?
I sarcastically ask because I recently sent a video to the Des Plaines police department and they showed up at my house and threatened to arrest me for violating the Illinois eavesdropping law even though my recording was taken in a park.
Well let’s see, closest murder to the house about half a mile away. I have had stuff taken out my open garage and multiple cars rummaged through. Registered aggravated sex offender lived next door for 4 years. Growing up had a kid I knew personally in high school shoot a teacher while we were both in HS. Nice little side note, we resumed the school day and I took a college algebra text in the next room over from the shooting 2 hours later and could listen to them take the blackboard down to get at the bullet.
So how about we not make assumptions about each other and our environments.
Yes, someone takes something off my door or my front step I want the cops involved. So yeah, if I had a video of someone taking something from my house and the person was identifiable I would want the cops to tell them that was a bad idea. I don’t think that is a bad idea. If my local law enforcement has the time to write speeding tickets on the nearby speed trap they have time for this.
Also to be blunt, the neighborhood my kid lives in at school has a major problem with this (package and mail theft) so yeah my perspective may be a little off on it.
I can really care less if you take the yard signs. But don’t take stuff of my door or my front step, it doesn’t seem an unreasonable request. If you need a cop to do this to get it through someone’s partisan campaign head, I am fine with that.
Someone stole my “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” sign and now I have to sit on my porch screaming at speeding cars down my street. These are trying times. We’ve all had to adjust.
Setting aside for the moment matters of ethics and legality, stealing yard signs and campaign literature is *tactically* wrong because it does not affect the outcome of elections.
A person whose yard sign is stolen will still vote for your candidate’s opponent. And you know what else they do?
They talk to everybody they know about how their yard sign for your candidate’s opponent was stolen by one of your candidate’s supporters.
D’oh.
A stolen yard sign gives your opponent’s supporter a perfect opening to talk to anybody they come in contact with about who they’re supporting and why.
Don’t give them that opening. Don’t steal yard signs.
Which is more pathetic? “Stealing” SALT deductions or whining about having them “stolen” from you. Of course the whining is. Nothing was stolen from you. A deduction was limited by a legimate action of duly elected legislators and the President. And besides, if you are paying more than the deduction limit you are well enough off that, like JB, you should want to have to pay more in taxes. It’s only fair…
It’s real simple. If a yard sign in a place it’s not lawfully allowed to be, call the appropriate government agency and let them remove it. Don’t take matters into your own hands, literally. If the yard sign is where it is lawfully allowed to be, leave it alone. If lawful, put yours next to it. Above all, act like an adult.
In this neck of the woods, I am seeing more and more Sean signs. That is surpising in this area. First the signs were about 50/50 but now are almost 3 to 1. I don’t think Roskam signs are being removed as the same houses still have the Roskam signs. But perhaps there is a very busy and successful Sean sign staffer. Or maybe the signs are a predictor.
Do you want your message to be about internal discussions about signs being stolen at this point in your campaign or do you want to spend your time getting your message out?
- Glass half full - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 6:17 pm:
Try to remember …signs don’t vote….and…shame of it all…I’ve taken doorhangers and lit left on porch thinking I was doing the homeowner a favor….it’s not mail….and of.course I had the better candidate….someone once said “timing is everything”
- Chicago Cynic - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 1:47 pm:
My Mom had her JB sign stolen. So did another friend of hers. This is sooooooo not important.
- Fixer - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 1:49 pm:
I cannot wait for it to be November 7th.
- OneMan - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 1:53 pm:
Never got the appeal of taking yard signs, considering how some of my neighbors freak out about anything and how many may be armed it just seems kind of stupid.
Now taking the door hanger in the age of video doorbells and wireless cameras is truly stupid. Not going to lie, if it was my house and someone came to my front door and took a door hanger off I would want the cops to talk to them.
I have yard signs swiped before, even had the house egged (that made me mad), but taking something off my front door seems personal. It’s my house.
- Anonish - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 1:57 pm:
Signs and lit getting stolen?
Oh the humanity!
If only people could think back to times when such shenanigans didn’t happen or not
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 1:58 pm:
Which is more pathetically juvenile: Stealing yard signs, or whining about stolen yard signs?
I could go either way.
But grow up, all of you.
- amalia - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 1:58 pm:
Halloween or campaign hijinks? often hard to tell around this time of year. can’t wait not to hear from Moylan.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:02 pm:
As an experienced door-to-door walker, all people campaigning should assume every home has some type of security camera. If it’s not the home on which you are knocking, it’s the camera across the street.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:04 pm:
Please take my literature. Park it in the recycle bin.
- Reality Check - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:05 pm:
Uh, you “would want the cops” if someone “took a door hanger off”?
You must have a nice life.
My car has been stolen. Car smashed into three separate times. Items stolen from the porch, yard or garage many times.
There have been shootings on the block. Gang graffiti on the playground. Drug dealing around the corner. The guy next door committed suicide. The woman across the street died of a heroin OD in the house. With her toddler there.
Those are the things I want the police for.
Please get some perspective.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:14 pm:
Do the people filming and posting these videos have the consent of all parties to record their conversations?
I sarcastically ask because I recently sent a video to the Des Plaines police department and they showed up at my house and threatened to arrest me for violating the Illinois eavesdropping law even though my recording was taken in a park.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:16 pm:
Roskam stole my and his suburban homeowner constituents SALT deduction on behalf of his GOP-donor-class overlords.
Wait til you fill out your Schedule A next year; you’ll learn what a dirty trick really is.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:24 pm:
Myabe Roskam can hire Tony Peraica as his lawyer?
- OneMan - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:27 pm:
Reality Check,
Well let’s see, closest murder to the house about half a mile away. I have had stuff taken out my open garage and multiple cars rummaged through. Registered aggravated sex offender lived next door for 4 years. Growing up had a kid I knew personally in high school shoot a teacher while we were both in HS. Nice little side note, we resumed the school day and I took a college algebra text in the next room over from the shooting 2 hours later and could listen to them take the blackboard down to get at the bullet.
So how about we not make assumptions about each other and our environments.
Yes, someone takes something off my door or my front step I want the cops involved. So yeah, if I had a video of someone taking something from my house and the person was identifiable I would want the cops to tell them that was a bad idea. I don’t think that is a bad idea. If my local law enforcement has the time to write speeding tickets on the nearby speed trap they have time for this.
Also to be blunt, the neighborhood my kid lives in at school has a major problem with this (package and mail theft) so yeah my perspective may be a little off on it.
I can really care less if you take the yard signs. But don’t take stuff of my door or my front step, it doesn’t seem an unreasonable request. If you need a cop to do this to get it through someone’s partisan campaign head, I am fine with that.
- Reality Check - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:34 pm:
Then it appears that your experience has not sufficiently adjusted your sense of perspective.
I would consider it a grievous misuse of public resources to send police chasing after missing door hangers.
- Mike K - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:39 pm:
Yard signs matter!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwTMHogu3MM&app=desktop
- LoyalVirus - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:52 pm:
How can those poor yard signs vote if they’ve been stolen?
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 2:52 pm:
Hard to tell if Roskam signs are disappearing. There are so few of them up in my neck of the district.
- DuPage Bard - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:01 pm:
12 days out and this is the concern?
Surprised Bruce hasn’t said it’s all because of illegals.
- SOIL M - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:02 pm:
How can those poor yard signs vote if they’ve been stolen?
It’s just another case of gerrymandered signs. They aren’t stolen just moved to a different precinct where they are needing votes.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:12 pm:
“We’re talkin’ about yard signs… not a vote, not a vote… yard signs…”
- No Longer A Lurker - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:30 pm:
I just saw a sign today about a block from my house it was white with hand writing asking who stole his Roskam sign.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:32 pm:
Can Tony Peraica account for his wearabouts?
He’s got a history.
- Chunga - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:32 pm:
Madigan - and the yard sign stealing Golem he controls
- Cream of Wheaton - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:37 pm:
What about Breens crew, pasting windshield flyers on cars parked in Church parking lots during last Sunday services. Breen is a hypocritical Roach.
- mocking jay - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 3:46 pm:
Someone stole my “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” sign and now I have to sit on my porch screaming at speeding cars down my street. These are trying times. We’ve all had to adjust.
- City Zen - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 4:06 pm:
Yard Signs Have No Home Here
- @misterjayem - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
Setting aside for the moment matters of ethics and legality, stealing yard signs and campaign literature is *tactically* wrong because it does not affect the outcome of elections.
A person whose yard sign is stolen will still vote for your candidate’s opponent. And you know what else they do?
They talk to everybody they know about how their yard sign for your candidate’s opponent was stolen by one of your candidate’s supporters.
D’oh.
A stolen yard sign gives your opponent’s supporter a perfect opening to talk to anybody they come in contact with about who they’re supporting and why.
Don’t give them that opening. Don’t steal yard signs.
– MrJM
- Captain Obvious - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 4:37 pm:
Which is more pathetic? “Stealing” SALT deductions or whining about having them “stolen” from you. Of course the whining is. Nothing was stolen from you. A deduction was limited by a legimate action of duly elected legislators and the President. And besides, if you are paying more than the deduction limit you are well enough off that, like JB, you should want to have to pay more in taxes. It’s only fair…
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 4:40 pm:
It’s real simple. If a yard sign in a place it’s not lawfully allowed to be, call the appropriate government agency and let them remove it. Don’t take matters into your own hands, literally. If the yard sign is where it is lawfully allowed to be, leave it alone. If lawful, put yours next to it. Above all, act like an adult.
- Barrington - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 5:01 pm:
In this neck of the woods, I am seeing more and more Sean signs. That is surpising in this area. First the signs were about 50/50 but now are almost 3 to 1. I don’t think Roskam signs are being removed as the same houses still have the Roskam signs. But perhaps there is a very busy and successful Sean sign staffer. Or maybe the signs are a predictor.
- walker - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 5:28 pm:
Oh, just replace them.
- Archpundit - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 5:48 pm:
I hope Aviva tied Tom B. down and he didn’t trip the filter for language when he saw this post. I’d hate to see him banned for life.
- Archpundit - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 5:49 pm:
Do you want your message to be about internal discussions about signs being stolen at this point in your campaign or do you want to spend your time getting your message out?
- Glass half full - Thursday, Oct 25, 18 @ 6:17 pm:
Try to remember …signs don’t vote….and…shame of it all…I’ve taken doorhangers and lit left on porch thinking I was doing the homeowner a favor….it’s not mail….and of.course I had the better candidate….someone once said “timing is everything”