May 11, 2010 — One can hardly sit in a coffee shop and not over hear adults talk about how children, teens and young adults are disrespectful, rude and have no care what the rules are. After all, rules are made for a reason and every good citizen is one who obeys the laws of the land — including ordinances passed by the Susanville City Council.

Granted not every city code will be memorized by the town’s citizenry, but when ignorance of law is no excuse for not educating yourself when need be. The city of Susanville passed Municipal Code 17.128.160A, regarding temporary signs, including political signs.    

Recently, driving around town, the news staff has noticed political signs cropping up like weeds in the most unsightly places. The ordinance is very clear and easy to follow. No signs in public places and if they are in the right-of-way you must have permission of the owner or the adjacent owner. Signs cannot obstruct the view of motorists or pedestrians.    

Every election year the city runs into the same issue on how to control the placement of political signs. Those running for office say that they are not always aware of where their supporters place the signs. Others have complained that signs are taken from authorized locations and placed in inappropriate places by opponents.    

Perhaps it is time for the candidates to take the time  read the city code and then drive around town and make sure their signs are posted in compliance with ordinance. The city is also responsible to enforce the code and not let the violators slide.   

Benjamin Franklin has been credited with saying, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”    

We agree. If candidates wanting to run our city that is facing serious issues such as fixing natural gas debt and dealing with California’s economic fiasco can’t follow a simple municipal code, can they really expect our vote? Think about it.