MARK SCHUMANN
According to Vero Beach City Councilman Dick Winger some of his campaign yard signs have already begun disappearing.
Disappearing campaign signs in South Daytona became the subject of a police report last year, when a operative with a Tallahassee-based political consulting firm working to prevent the City of South Daytona from buying its electrical system back from Florida Power & Light was detained and questioned by police. In what has become known as the “little yellow truck incident,” the operative working for a company helping FPL was stopped and questioned by police.
Vero Beach City Councilman Jay Kramer shared the Daytona Beach News Journal’s story on the South Daytona “yellow truck incident” with City Clerk Tammy Vock today. “This kind of thing doesn’t pass the Four Way Test,” Kramer said. “I shared the story with the City Clerk and made it a part of the record in the interest of full disclosure.
FPL is funding a electioneering communication organization that is supporting Tracy Carroll’s re-election.
The following is the narrative from the South Daytona Beach Police Department’s report on the “yellow truck incident.”
Indian River Guardian 
Disappearing campaign signs is not a new phenomena in this community. There was a county-wide problem of Obama signs missing in the last two Presidential elections. Within a few hours after the signs had been placed at major intersections, they disappeared. Then the replacement signs disappeared just as quickly.
Signage has become so cheap to purchase that I suppose people can rationalize the theft as not being a crime. Signage is usually in the right-of-way so there is not a trespass committed. I have no doubt that there is an orchestrated program of sign removal during each election. If someone was caught in the act, we may be surprised at who is behind these thefts. I think all the signs are ugly. If putting up the most signs was the answer, we would have a sheriff named McMullen right now. Integrity means more to me than signage.
To my knowledge the only signs put up so far ,and stolen, are are Dick Winger’s. So draw your own conclusions. Low class actions from low class people. Or maybe besides being low class, these same misfits may be afraid of a Winger victory. Shame on them.
Signs or not, I am voting for Winger and Graves.
I agree with Pat Lavins when she says that disappearing campaign signs is not a new phenomena in this community. I remember when I was running against Tim Zorc his group of supporters and handlers had my signs removed or taken or thrown in the bushes all over town. If I had my druthers, (what and old expression) I would love to see Indian River County become a sign less community for all elections. They are a blight on the environment.
I second that.
I have a game camera, motion activated on my DICK WINGER sign, located on my front lawn. The camera can see in the dark, as it was designed to see animals at night. Let the ANIMALS come.
Signs that hold up in the weather are not inexpensive; (we’ve had over 100 stolen). And if one plans to run again it is a way of saving next time for cards or ads. Newspaper, TV and radio ads are expensive.
Signs may be one of the only ways for new candidates to express who they are and to remind folks it’s time to vote.
The season for city council elections is short and as long as one follows the guidelines there should be no problems with this form of candidate free speech.