A house divided — 
Atmosphere of intolerance means
candidate signs go missing

— © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — They don’t agree about the war in Iraq, abortion or dozens of other things but there is one issue that local Republicans and Democrats can agree on — stealing political signs is just immature behavior.

Local Republicans say that it’s becoming almost impossible to stop people from stealing campaign signs for any Republican running in this election.

“We’re having McCain signs being stolen, as well as signs for Steve Pearce and Don East,” Mike Lunnon, the chairman of the county Republican Party, said Thursday.
Just this past Monday, he said, someone went up and down Cliff Drive and removed all of the McCain signs, forcing the party to replace them.

It’s gotten to the point where the party is finding itself putting signs in the same location on a nearly daily basis to make sure that voters have a chance to see their candidate’s message.

“This isn’t only costing us,” he said, pointing out that some Republican supporters have gone on the Internet and purchased McCain signs themselves.

McCain’s Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, doesn’t seem to be having the same problem for one simple reason — local Democrats haven’t put the Obama signs up yet.

“We’re be doing this in the next week and when we do, I’m sure they’re be stolen as well,” said Mary Ann Armijo, who is on the Central Committee for the McKinley County Democratic Party.

Another Democrat, George Muñoz, who is running for state Senate for District 4, said he has become used to the fact that when he puts up signs, there’s a good chance that someone will steal them.

“I had more than 200 signs stolen during the primary and 50 so far during the general election,” he said.

With the signs costing $3 each, replacing them has become an expense that he would rather see used in other areas.

Lunnon said he has no idea who is responsible for the thefts.

“It could be just kids or whoever, but they have no right to go onto private property,” he said, adding that the world would be a better place if kids or whoever is responsible for the thefts lived by the Golden Rule and treat the Republicans as they would like to see their candidate’s signs treated.

Armijo said she couldn’t believe that local Democrats are responsible for the theft of the Republican signs.

Most of the thefts seem to occur at night when no one is watching and neither party seems concerned enough to post guards, although some candidates in the past have threatened to do that .

Lunnon said he wished people would be more responsible.
“Please leave the signs alone,” he said. “Let people get the word out.”