Isaac Abraham, city council candidate in the 33rd District, called on all other council candidates in the district covering Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Greenpoint, Park Slope, Vinegar Hill and Williamsburg to join him in abiding by the city law that prohibits unlawfully posted signs on public property, including lamposts and utility poles.

Abraham pledges to only post signs where the law permits and calls on the other candidates for Council to join him in taking the pledge against the physical graffiti that afflicts many parts of the 33rd Council District. “It makes no sense politically or pocket-book wise to post signs on poles and city property,” said Abraham. “The severe penalties assessed against illegal posters mean that candidates who follow that practice end up wasting other people’s money to pay the fines and that’s not why the contributor gave you the money.” [Note: Campaign Finance Board matchingfunds may be not used to pay such violations.]

“Each election season – particularly closed to the primary and general elections, we often see a proliferation of the illegally posted signs on city utility poles, telephone poles, public fences and trees,” stated Abraham. This happens despite the fact that violators of the illegal posting ordinance face substantial fines. “Even if you have the money to blow on posting fines as the Mayor did in 2005, it still does not give him or any other candidates any right to break the law just because he pays the penalties from his own pocket. This year we hope that all candidates – including the Mayor will abide by the law as well.

Illegal posting violations may result in civil penalties of a minimum of $75 and a maximum of $200 for the first violation and a maximum penalty of $300 ($300 – $550 for posting on trees)for the second and each subsequent violation. Where candidates place multiple posters lined up a pole, the law triggers automatic multiple violations. The typical candidate practice of placing multiple posters back-to-back on street light poles could s ubject candidates and their campaigns to penalties which would likely exceed the cost of printing the posters.

(YWN Desk – NYC)