SC

The Great Sign Stealing Caper

REWARD OFFERED FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO ARREST By FITSNEWS  ||  Reform-minded S.C. Rep. Kirkman Finlay (R-Columbia) is leading liberal trial lawyer Joe McCulloch by more than ten points in a rematch of their 2012 race for S.C. House District 75. Wait … isn’t “reform-minded” a descriptor aimed at influencing your opinion…

REWARD OFFERED FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO ARREST

By FITSNEWS  ||  Reform-minded S.C. Rep. Kirkman Finlay (R-Columbia) is leading liberal trial lawyer Joe McCulloch by more than ten points in a rematch of their 2012 race for S.C. House District 75.

Wait … isn’t “reform-minded” a descriptor aimed at influencing your opinion on this race? Yes. It is. But it’s true. And isn’t “liberal trial lawyer” similarly a pejorative term aimed at swaying your view? Again, yes. It is. But also true.

And finally that polling margin is accurate … according to GOP and Democratic consultants who ran the surveys in the district.

See … here at FITS we’re all sorts of “unfair, imbalanced” (hence our motto).  But we back up our unfairness and imbalance with the truth.

And speaking of the truth, we’re reliably informed that McCulloch’s campaign has become exceedingly desperate in its effort to cut into Finlay’s margin.

How desperate?

According to our sources, a young political operative who goes by the name of “Eric” has been driving across this Columbia, S.C. district stealing and destroying Finlay’s political signs.  That’s illegal, people.  Political signs – while annoying – represent free speech when placed on private property with the consent of the property owner.

Unfortunately “Eric” did not follow the first rule of sign destruction:  Make sure no one is watching when you do it.

A farmer was working in his field just south of Williams-Brice stadium recently when he saw “Eric’s” black SUV pull up next to a Finlay sign.  “Eric” hopped out (as a female date waited inside his SUV) and began destroying a Finlay 4X8 sign – which is one of the larger political banners you see on roadsides.  The farmer approached “Eric” and asked him what he was doing – at which point the young man responded that he was being paid to do a job.

The farmer then inquired, “by whom?”

“I am not allowed to say,” Eric responded.

Well, well …

Given our long-standing contempt for McCulloch, we’re going to try a little market-based experiment.  If any of our readers have information related to the destruction of these signs – and if we are able to positively identify “Eric” based on that information – we will send the first one who communicates such information a check for $500.00.  And as is always the case at FITS … all sources will be kept confidential.

In addition to our journalistic interest, we’re told local solicitors may also be looking for “Eric.”

Again, we can’t stand political signs.  The fewer the better as far as we’re concerned … even if we’re talking about signs from elected officials like Finlay who are actually doing a good job of keeping the public trust.  Whatever we think of these visual abominations, rival operatives cannot go around destroying the lawfully placed signs of their opponents.

Like it or not, it’s against the law.

Anyway stay tuned … we have little doubt our expansive network of sources will turn up the information we’re seeking rather quickly.

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34 comments

shifty henry September 30, 2014 at 9:34 am

If ya’ know his name is “ERIC” then ya’ do know who he is…..

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Smirks September 30, 2014 at 9:35 am

You better respect his authoritah!

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shifty henry September 30, 2014 at 9:39 am

Could it be that the dude borrowed the SUV with a personalized tag on it – and didn’t tell his buddy why he wanted it?

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shifty henry September 30, 2014 at 3:44 pm

I must watch that video of the Mall Cop – I still think she is funny…and cute to boot.

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Smirks September 30, 2014 at 9:40 am

If it is on private property, it’s vandalism. If it’s on a public right-of-way, it’s community service.

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The Colonel September 30, 2014 at 9:50 am

SECTION 7-25-210. Vandalizing or removing political campaign sign; exceptions; penalty.

(A) It is unlawful to deface, vandalize, tamper with, or remove a lawfully placed political campaign sign prior to the election without the permission of the candidate or party.

(B) This section does not apply to a governmental entity when a political campaign sign is removed because of noncompliance with applicable law, or because an employee of the governmental entity removing the sign is working within the course and scope of his employment.

(C) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.

HISTORY: 2005 Act No. 116, Section 1, eff June 3, 2005.

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Dave Chappelle September 30, 2014 at 9:58 am

The circular logic is just this….the politicians enact the laws that allow them–the politicians–to continue to clutter our streets with their tacky signs.

“Lawfully placed” seems rather vague. I wonder if you could successfully argue void for vagueness or lenity doctrine? I have no idea, not a criminal law expert.

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The Colonel September 30, 2014 at 10:14 am

Once upon a time I worked on a campaign putting up 4×8 signs. The previous law also used “lawfully placed” as the standard – we were told that meant “you had permission to put it there”. Other wise the owner of that “place” cold tear down the signs and that the law was written that way to protect land owners.

A fairly unscrupulous member of the campaign staff said it also meant we couldn’t get in trouble for knocking down signs in the right of way, medians and those odd bits of “public private” land adjacent to intersections and suggested we do so – he’s now an elected official and I don’t work on campaigns any more.

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Huckleberry September 30, 2014 at 1:29 pm

SECTION 57-25-10. Unlawful to display, place or affix posters within right-of-way.

It is unlawful for a person to display, place, or affix a sign, as defined in Section 57-25-120(3), within a right-of-way and visible from the main-traveled way of the highway. A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 33-551; 1973 (58) 247; 1990 Act No. 519, Section 1.

57-25-120 (3) “Sign” or “outdoor advertising sign” means an outdoor sign, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, plaque, poster, billboard, or other thing which is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform, or any part of the advertising or its informative contents.

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The Colonel September 30, 2014 at 1:36 pm

Some municipalities have construed the “…A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days….” to mean each occurrence is a hundred dollar fine. If they’d all start enforcing the rules that way we’d have a lot less visual clutter…

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FastEddy23 September 30, 2014 at 9:56 pm

Out here in Taxifornia we let the meskins put up the poli-signs and make the county take ’em down. Sometimes the county takes ’em down before the elections, sometimes not.

Dave Chappelle September 30, 2014 at 9:54 am

+10

“Community service” –> Could not agree more!

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K. F. September 30, 2014 at 12:03 pm

My name is Kirkman Finaly and I approve this reward.

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Toyota Kawaski October 1, 2014 at 9:00 am

how about you spend that reward money on a razor and less letting us know how great you are and how many bookbags you have given away. Do it because you want to not to win an election?????

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Guero October 1, 2014 at 4:37 pm

I’m more concerned with Kirkman stealing tax dollars through his welfare queen receipt of crop support monies. What is it, Billy Folks? Over $1 M dollars ain’t it?

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shifty henry September 30, 2014 at 9:46 am

Fitsnews Hot Line—

“Hello, you’re caller number 66 …….. sorry, wrong Eric”
“Hello, you’re caller number 67……… sorry, wrong Eric”
” …………

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shifty henry September 30, 2014 at 10:42 am

Hello, you’re caller 435 – yes? You are Eric? You want the $500? Prove to us that you are the elusive Eric.

Uh-huh…… uh-huh…..uh-huh….yes…..ok…..I see….all right we’re convinced.

Spell your last name, please — C.A.R.T.M.A.N – got it.

Ok, just give us your mailing address. Oh, you want to pick it up in person? No, we won’t cash it for you. Yes, we’ll wait for you, and thanks for helping.
—————————

Hey, Will –make that check payable to Mr. Eric Cartman!

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Nurse Mildred Ratched September 30, 2014 at 3:17 pm

Who is Eric Cartman?

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shifty henry September 30, 2014 at 8:34 pm

Mr. Eric Cartman is a resident of South Park, Colorado….

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Philip Branton September 30, 2014 at 10:29 am

*****……meanwhile in the Post and Courier media observation rotunda…****

Brian HIcks: “Gotta luv this presser about defacing yard signs…”

Diane Knich: “Yep……I almost got fired for confronting the Ol’ Editor about our continued acceptance of STATE FARM Insurance advertising dollars. Its just un-ethical as hell to take State Farm ad dollars when we give Bobby Harrell such a SPA treatment in our articles…!!! ”

Abigail Darlington: ” I am so disgusted too….to think that my PENSION some day will be built upon profits from State Farm Insurance ads that Bobby Harrell and his agency porked this paper for positive press..!!! I feel ….DIRTY…!! ”

Andy Paras: ” Yep, know what you mean. To actually watch the web traffic to our site and know full well that FITSNEWS continually beats the stuffings out of us. I think I am suffering “Post Traumatic Web Stress Un-order”…!! ”

Brian Hicks: ” Ya know, I have an idea on what can be done with just ONE Bobby Harrell yard sign……….want to join me and get 4 yard signs…? ”

Diane Knich: “Are you thinking …what I am thinking…? ”

Abigail Darlington: “” Oh Boy…….this is gonna bee greeeeeaaat…..!!”

Andy Paras: ” Our Facebook Avatars will never be the same on the FITSNEWS battlefield…!”

Brian Hicks: “God, ….how I love the smell of FItz in the morning….!!! “

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guest September 30, 2014 at 10:52 am

What’s really sad to me is that political signs work. Who is voting for someone based on the number of road signs seen in prominent places? Same with TV ads, for that matter.

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Bible Thumper September 30, 2014 at 11:14 am

“A farmer was working in his field just south of Williams-Brice stadium”

I thought all the hicks were up at Clempson. He should plow up the WB playing field and plant beans.

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Libtard Logic September 30, 2014 at 11:15 am

Lie, cheat, steal… this is how libtards attempt to win.

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vicupstate September 30, 2014 at 1:18 pm

Yes, because Lee Atwater and Karl Rove never skirted ethics in their political careers.

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Libtard Logic September 30, 2014 at 1:44 pm

Always with the… but, but, but… what about what ________ (R) did? Yes, we all know republicans are guilty of skirting ethics, thank you captain obvious. This is a discussion about a little weasel, likely being paid by a libtard, to destroy signs, not the other way around.

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vicupstate September 30, 2014 at 6:09 pm

Right, his name is Eric, or Ernie or whatever. Show me the eff proof that he did it, and that the signs were OUTSIDE the right of way (and therefore legal) and I’ll condemn what Ernie,or Eric did.

You pompous ass conservatives repeat that ‘only Liberals/Dems cheat’ meme and it is nothing but your own self-delusion.

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Libtard Logic October 1, 2014 at 9:56 am

I pointed out in my reply that both sides are guilty, does this mean I’m not pompous?

Libtard Logic October 1, 2014 at 9:56 am

I pointed out in my reply that both sides are guilty, does this mean I’m not pompous?

Political DickHead September 30, 2014 at 11:44 am

I’ve removed political signs from the public right-of-way in the past as a community service. They are essentially litter if placed illegally. Although a complaint was filed, I was never charged with a crime. We joke about elected official breaking the laws, and they do. Usually, it is the crime of using public property to advance their campaign. They should all be fined by the Election Commission. A cold day in hell awaits.

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Roseanne September 30, 2014 at 1:26 pm

How do you know the woman was a date?

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Political DickHead September 30, 2014 at 4:26 pm

As long as people are quoting the law, were you aware that organized churches may place their signs in the right-of-way with impunity? They have a carve-out exception in SC law.

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Calling bs September 30, 2014 at 5:15 pm

Oh really, well Finlay better look out. his boy in the white truck that he pays to put up his signs (owner of the Sign Company LLC on Finlay’s campaign disclosures) was caught on tape last cycle stealing signs from McCulloch on Rosewood. Be careful what pot you stir old boy.

also, the misinformation about the 10pt poll is laughable. Kirkman was puking in his mouth when he saw HIS OWN POLL showing the race at a 5% lead with bad candidate favorability numbers…ruh roh Kirkman. you better go knock on some doors…wait you lose votes when you do that.

Perhaps he should have Bobby Harrell sponsor more fundraisers for him…oops, another bad idea. I guess Finlay did not get much out of being Harrell’s bill-sponsoring-errand-boy; or maybe he did, only the Feds know at this point. Just like an ole tar baby…Harrell is stuck to you ole boy.

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BIN News September 30, 2014 at 10:21 pm

When our Funding Editor read this tripe, she puked her third triple Metamucil and double Jack Daniels evening cocktail into her pantyhose. What a mess.

Voters figured this BS out years ago. It means nothing.

It’s typical FITS/Shealy(GRHS) BS.

Trash a few signs. Claim the other candidate’s supporters did it.

Really??!! What kr@p!!

BIN News
Flare and Balanced

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Toyota Kawaski October 1, 2014 at 8:55 am

stop your crying fits, u as well as I know u have done the same thing in the past. All part of the game and it just cracks me up when they say charges will be brought. How about we bring charges againts A-holes who leave signs up past 30 days after and election. Hell that looooooser Crazy Kelly Pain-n-the azz still has signs up in Aiken County.

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