HAVERHILL (CBS) — A Trump supporter in Haverhill is facing stiff fines for having too many signs in his front yard. But Rick Early is standing his ground, literally.
“This is my property, and I have a constitutional right to express my opinions,” said Early. “They’re not coming down.”
The city has an ordinance prohibiting political signs that total more than 32 square feet. Early’s signs add up to over 300 square feet.
“He’s way in excess of what’s allowed, that’s all he’s been cited for is that he’s over the signage that’s allowed by city ordinance,” city building inspector Dick Osborne said.
Early put up the signs in January and he hasn’t encountered any problems, even drawing the occasional drive-by supporter.
“It’s free speech, maybe I’m offending the Hillary supporters, but that’s OK. They have their own property, I have my own property,” he says.
Still, Early says he won’t budge and he’ll go to court if he needs to, he said. He figures his property is his ground, and he’ll put as many Trump signs on it as he wants. He says a deep-blue state like Mass. should understand Constitutional rights.
“They’re not coming down. I think it’s my right to keep them up, and I’m gonna keep them up,” he said.
If you think Early is over the top, there’s a man in a town over who covered his business in anti-Clinton signs, including a three-dimensional jail cell with a life-sized Hillary doll clad in an orange inmate uniform inside it.
Bill Shields
Municipal ordinances are supreme over the First Amendment? Yeah, baby, the founders were certainly correct about what is necessary to correct such oppressions, and it has nothing to do w/ the ballot box. xxoo
Awesome!!!!!
Sounds like this man needs to visit the ministry of love for some re education.
Gee, it is always too many Trump signs, never Hillary signs. This bias is as sick as Hillary
What he needs to do is find other people with more than 32 sq ft of signage on their property who the city did not harrass and then he has a case of unequal prosecution and bias by the city
Like most social malcontents, the man has gone to extremes. Once the election is over and Trump has been defeated, he’ll go back to his couch with his six-pack, remote control, and go back to his football games.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah…!!!!!..
Let’s see, city ordinance versus First Amendment. I’ll put my money on the First Amendment with an court costs, legal costs and additional civil judgement against the city. These politicians should drop this.
Haven’t these commies in city government ever heard of the Constitution?
“The city has an ordinance prohibiting political signs that total more than 32 square feet. Early’s signs add up to over 300 square feet.”
Message to the Communist running the city – F. Off. Politely of course.
Good for him.
32 square feet refers to the size of any ONE sign. Not the collective number of signs.
Obey he law, dude. It is a reasonable law, and you may have a few neighbors who don’t appreciate making their neighborhood look like a polling station for an entire year. The city has been more than patient. I’m sure they would do the same thing if those were Hillary signs.
Sounds like Boston may be ready for another Tea-Party!
This is pretty much fascism at its finest! Just like the NFL Commissioner not prosecuting that Commie Kaepernick for not standing for our National Anthem, but will go after those players who wore shoes conmemorating 9/11 and those who died. This is where political correctness gets converted to fascism! Of course, we all know if those signs were for Clinton, the city wouldn’t be doing jack$ht and even encouraging more signs! But, since those are Trump signs, the DemoRAT fascists at the City want to shut the homeowners down!
When I see a Hillary sign in someone’s front yard, or a Hillary bumper sticker on a car, all I do is feel sorry for the person who displays them. I’m actually pretty sad. I wonder of they ever heard of the U. S. Constitution.
I wonder if there would be an issue if they were Hillary signs?
I like this guy. Lock up Clinton Criminal Gang.
Good job Mr. Early. We must STOP THIS GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT.
Youtube search for – Nigel Farage Brussels – well worth a couple minutes of your time to understand what is happening world-wide.
Update: This is only a problem resulting from Trump support. We tried to find someone displaying too many Hillary signs but we couldn’t find any Hillary signs.
In the end, we’ll settle this great divide with high-powered rifles…& Trump’s side has just about all of them.
Hey If Colin Paperneck can do what he is doing claiming his 1st amendment rights, then this property owner has his 1st amendment rights as well. Liberals only like the 1st amendment when they want to destroy American values!! I say put more signs up!!!!
if these were hillary signs or allahu ahkbar signs, there never would have been any visit from anyone.
If y’all keep posting supportive comments of the subversive Trump supporter,
this paper may be FORCED to close the comment section …
… just like NPR.
Dissent is patriotic … …. sometimes …
Translation: Resident facing fines for being an idiot sheeple. There, I fixed it for you.
every Trump supporter in this town should fill there yards with as many Trump signs as possible in protest. Stand together or hang separate