Firetti road spam signs in Broadlands

A story I thought I'd share.......
As many of you now, I despise the spam road signs that get used. The HOA has worked to keep them out of Broadlands. When businesses do it, we call and inform them that any signs will be removed and discarded. This has been having a positive effect.

Yesterday, I was driving down Waxpool and found about 30 Firetti signs along the road. I removed these signs and asked Wes to be vigilant over the next few days to keep the trash out of our community.

I then called Firetti's office and left a voicemail. I gave my name, phone number, and position with the HOA and stated that we do not allow signs to be put in our community. Within 20 minutes, I get a call about this. Not from anyone in Firetti's campaign, but from someone they thought could intimidate me from removing signs. They tried to use the argument I was "stealing" private property. I reminded this person that the signs were ILLEGALLY placed along the roadways and the property in question, although a VDOT Right-of-Way, is required to be maintained by the Broadlands HOA. Part of our reponsibilities is to remove TRASH. These signs are TRASH in our community. I also informed this person that the Broadlands HOA has adopted Claiborne Parkway as part of the adopt-a-highway program and we have WRITTEN legal permission from VDOT to remove signs in the right-of-way.

I then called back Firetti's office and called them cowards. Rather than contact me, they call someone they think will intimidate me. Wow.
I will not vote for this person. If he's willing to trash our communities before he's elected, what will he do if he wins?????

I encourage all Broadlands residents to keep our community beautiful and pick up trash as they walk through our streets.

 

I am sorry they were rude, but regarding Claiborne, I think they do have a right to put up these signs right before an election. I believe they are required to remove them after the election.

 

Incorrect. Not only do they have NO right to do it, it is ILLEGAL. This is not an opinion, it is FACT. Sorry. Oh, and they NEVER come back and remove them after the election.

 

No they don't it is illegal to place any sign that is not on private property. Just because they have gotten away with it for years because they county and state do not have the people to keep up with it does not mean we need to let anyone do that to our community, and I mean anyone from either party.
Staci

 

That is true that the Republicans don't. However, the Loudoun County Democratic Committee has had a sign removal effort after every election since I've been here. We welcome all comers.

 

Thanks Cliff for taking such a pro-active stance.

We need more people like you in this county and country!!!

Two thumbs up buddy and keep up the fight against politicians like snow and firette that go out and BREAK THE LAW and then hide behind their big time developers and their money. They are too chicken to call you themselves snow or firette themselves. AFGM was right on the mark when he brought the chicken to the debate ha ha ha ha ha ha snow the chicken has a nice ring to it for a lawbreaker.

Lee j

 

The Firetti and Snow camp did the same road spamming of Ashburn Farm. Staff took them down yesterday, and then last night the security guards did. There were another 30 signs up today, which I removed. I also called the Firetti campaign office and told them their signs have been taken to the dump. No call back.

To reiterate, it is absolutely illegal to put up signs in the VDOT right of way, and if your HOA has a covenant against placing signs on common area that is also a violation. There is absolutely no waiver on this during election season.

Funny comment about this. Delgaudio puts a notice on his signs saying he is licensed by Loudoun County to post signs. He even goes as far as to note a 12 digit or so "license permit". What a crock, there is no entity in Loudoun County that gives such a permit, it doesn't exist.

Firetti should spend more energy trying to talk to voters. Signs piss voters off.

By the way Joy, I've seen Democratic signs posted on VDOT areas today also. Certainly to as aggregious as Firetti and Snow but there are signs up.

 

I think this thread is a little misleading. The HOA president posting about political signs with his disclaimer that does not mean anything (he has almost never said in any post that he he is actually speaking for the HOA even when he clearly is). I think that this thread should be moved to the politics forum. And look up my posts on the politics forum if you just think I am saying this because I am pro Firetti, because I am not. I just like calling a spade a spade, and think it is inappropriate to treat this as an HOA issue 3 days before an election.

 

I agree that he has done the same with other road spam. He may even be genuine in his description of the events that transpired. I just think it is gauche to post about this issue in the community forum three days before an election. He even mentions voting (by voting I refer to the phrase "what will he do if he wins?"). The content of this subject is not the problem. Most people with solid convictions would have problems being unbiased posting about a subject days before an election. If this were a newspaper, it should be on the editorial page (read: Politics Forum) and not the Metro section (read: Broadlands Community Forum).

 

I'm not surprised. Like I said, we have a cleanup after every election. Here was our party chair's letter to the editor on the topic: http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2007/10/02/opinion/letters/alet848beres100207.txt

Dear Editor: This is the time of the year when we often see candidates placing signs in the VDOT rights of way along our highways. The Loudoun County Democratic Committee (LCDC) has actively tried to limit the number of signs along our highways for the last three years with some success.

Most voters do not know that VDOT sends every candidate and political party a guide that makes the point that placing political signs in the VDOT right of way is illegal and asks the candidates and parties not to do it. Two years ago the LCDC was been able to reach agreement with the Loudoun County Republican Committee to try and limit our candidates from placing signs where VDOT says not to do it. Unfortunately the current Republican chairman has refused to try and limit signs as "too hard to do" and "pointless."

During the last governor's campaign and the senate campaign the LCDC was very successful in limiting signs in the VDOT right by the Democratic candidates. West of U.S. 15 there were next to none and east of U.S. 15 the Democrats did not put up signs until after the Republicans placed theirs in the VDOT right of way. Even then they sought to only match the Republican signs and not blanket the area and unlike the Republicans all Democratic signs were placed by volunteers and not by hired people from out of county.

It has also come to my attention that there are sign vigilantes in Loudoun that hate all signs and take down every political sign they see in the VDOT right of way. One gentleman with pride and a twinkle in his eye joked with me about our Democratic signs disappearing out west and then he told me with a bit of pride how he "takes them all down." I do not encourage this behavior but certainly do not hold it against him since he is only supporting the VDOT rules.

So far this campaign season it appears the Democratic candidates (all 18 of them) are letting the Republican candidates fire the first shot in the "sign wars" in the VDOT right of way.

I would also like to invite citizens to join the Democrats the first Saturday and Sunday morning after Nov. 6 to help pick up all the campaign signs along our roadways in Loudoun. The LCDC has done this the past three years in our effort to keep Loudoun County beautiful.

Thom Beres, Sterling
Chairman, Loudoun County Democratic Committee
​

 

Nova Native-
If the signs were littering our community a month ago, a week ago, or three days ago, my post would have been the same. The post went up yesterday because that's when the signs went up. There is no doubt as to the "genuineness" of my remarks. They are plain, simple facts, whether you believe it or not. (but I do like being referred to as gauche...such a sexy word!)
If someone here has an agenda here, it is obviously you since you proposed the ridiculous argument that these signs are legal.
Believe me, if I wanted to make this political, I would have simply released all the facts and names involved to a few media outlets that would have drooled over it. Because I refuse to make this political, I did not. But go ahead and tempt me! (just kidding).

 

I drove along Waxpool Road today and was disgusted. Firetti signs are by far the worst, but now Ahlemann, Herring, and Poisson signs are common as well. Joy, you should talk with Thom Beres and tell him this is absolutely unaceeptable and he and his candidates (Herring and Poisson) should abide by his own wishes. To those helping clean up this mess, please be fair and equitable.

 

I said:

I am sorry they were rude, but regarding Claiborne, I think they do have a right to put up these signs right before an election. I believe they are required to remove them after the election.


I am not sure how you characterize this as an "argument". The wording sounds more like a belief that I supposed may be wrong. I only had the belief because there seems to be non enforcement of this law by the authorities. I never said that I supported the signs. I just doubt that you would have been as vigilant in posting if it were someone you supported. Not only do you have poor judgement in posting this in the first place I think you accusing me of having an "agenda" is ridiculous. I do not even support the guy you are attacking.

 

I disagree entirely. There have been TONS of threads about road spam in the past (with the restaurants/ fitness/ karate places being the big offenders). This is no different. I think it's great that both the Ashburn Farm and Broadlands HOA are vigilant about removing these signs and I applaud their efforts. I personally won't vote for anyone who makes my neighborhood look like doodee and them gets pissy about it when they are called out. It's about ethics and integrity.

FYI-I do not go to Mezza Grill strictly because of their road spam and the fact that, through these forums, I have direct knowledge that they have been contacted time and time again and don't stop what they are doing.

 

Nova Native,

This is not a political season issue. You may not have any idea how much road spam occurs. It is constant, daily and heaviest on the weekends. It just so happens some candidates are being exceptionally abusive.

Additionally, out of all the Firetti signs I took down, I also took down three home development signs, two stretch your carpet sings, and one karate place sign.

Heck I am a strong supporter of Miller and if I saw his sign I would take that down too.