Getting uglier on political scene

Vandalism. Damage to political signs. Stolen signs. It's not enough that people deeply involved in the political scene are slinging mud at each other. A number of signs posted in support of candidates have been taken down or damaged, or both. I'm not saying people running for office are the offenders; that's very unlikely, in my mind. But someone is to blame.

I took a call from a man who lives near Ruder Elementary School in Columbia Falls on Monday morning. He said a John McCain-Sarah Palin sign had been ripped from the fence at his yard. I went by his home and a damaged hand-painted McCain-Palin sign was on the grass below the fence.

There is a Letter to the Editor in this week's Hungry Horse News about another incident — in this case, incidents. Mark Holston of Kalispell, the Democratic candidate for State Senate District 3, is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the theft and destruction of political campaign signs in Flathead County. Holston said in the letter that the reward is from personal money — not from campaign funds. He reported recently vandals have repeatedly gone onto private property and have stolen or destroyed dozens of signs of local Democratic candidates. The reward is non-partisan, meaning it relates to theft or damage to political signs — regardless of party affiliation. That's the way it should be.

I'm sure there has been vandalism and theft of other signs that has gone unreported. Hundreds of political signs have been placed in Flathead County, and who knows how many of them are missing.

Perhaps some of the thefts and damage to signs have nothing to do with political affiliation — just by someone who gets their kicks from taking pot shots at politicians. There are many jokes about being a politician, but we need people in positions such as county commissioner, and the State House and Senate.

Joe Sova is managing editor of the Hungry Horse News.