Archived Opinion

Marty Jones’ signs are just too much

To the Editor:

It is November, which means it is election time. As we all know election time means campaign time. I believe the front page headline from the Asheville Citizen-Times that read “Local Political Ads Get Uglier and Costlier” did a good job of summing up the feelings of most citizens about campaign signs and advertisements. 

I personally find all of the small signs that are placed on the side of the roads not only visually unattractive but very close to annoying. I find it worse to see four or five signs in a row from the same candidate within 25 feet of one another.

This especially goes towards Marty Jones. On multiple occasions while driving through Jackson County I see this happening with him. He has gone as far as nailing them to multiple trees along the side of the road. Is that even permissible? Now, not only are you forced to see them while driving down the road, some people are forced to see them as they walk out of their house every morning.

I thought those were bad enough, but Marty took that to another level when placing his larger picture signs in the Cashiers Commercial district. Those signs are not only visually polluting this beautiful mountain city, they are just plain illegal. In the Cashiers Commercial District signs are only allowed to be 12 square feet. His signs are well over that size. As someone who is running for commissioner I expect that person to either set an example or minimally abide by the standards set.

I do not think of an aspiring leader as someone who would knowingly break county ordinances to obtain votes. If someone cannot follow ordinances already in place, what would a person do as a commissioner trying to put ordinances in place and run a county that over 40,000 people call home? Marty Jones, who proclaims himself as the right Jones, is simply wrong!  

 Brian Humphreys

Cashiers

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.