Each election, I drive by hundreds of political road signs, for months. Four questions come to mind.
• Is this how we elect our politicians?
• Is this cost effective?
• Do they educate the public?
• Do they enhance the landscape or compete with it?
In 1977, the state of Maine followed Vermont and prohibited billboards. Both states found that tourists were drawn to their states for their natural beauty. By 1978, billboards were no longer allowed on the roads and highways in Maine.
Yet, here we are, with the roads littered with small billboards. They do not educate or articulate a candidate’s position. This issue can be addressed in Augusta; maybe the 1977 billboard law can be amended.
Do we continue to embrace the beauty of the Maine landscape and foliage or detract from it? I hope we can honor our state and political system intelligently.
Catharine Barnum
Falmouth
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