City officials hunt down Scott Wagman's errant signs

ST. PETERSBURG -- The calls trickled in at first. Then came a slew of complaints.

Overnight, roughly 600 Scott Wagman for mayor signs were suddenly everywhere -- medians, next to sidewalks, curbs -- and residents were not too happy about it.

The city's codes compliance department assigned an investigator to pluck errant Wagman signs across St. Petersburg today after receiving an unusual number of complaints. There were so many signs, the investigator asked for help and a second investigator was also assigned to the task.

"There's quite a lot of them," said Todd Yost, director of codes compliance. "That is not the appropriate place to put them."

City candidates sign a form acknowledging that they are familiar with the city's sign placement rules. Signs are prohibited in the right of way.

Wagman said he purchased 600 signs after supporters observed he didn't have as many as his rivals. The signs were distributed Tuesday night because absentee ballots are mailed out today.

Wagman said his campaign had not intentionally violated city rules.

"We did have some overzealous campaign organizers that didn't listen to instructions and put them in the right of way," he said.

Wagman has several days to claim the signs from City Hall before they are thrown out.

There is no penalty, Yost said.

The signs were found mostly along the downtown shore, Snell Isle, Central Avenue and Fourth Street N, Yost said.

By 4 p.m., most of the signs had been removed.

Yost could not immediately say how many city dollars were spent on the sign cleanup.

Wagman said he had avoided putting up too many signs before because he doubted their usefulness in swaying voters. He won't be putting up new signs any time soon for the same reason.

UPDATE: Yost said Thursday his staff is still picking up Wagman signs. "We're not done yet," he said.

Cristina Silva, Times staff writer

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Comments

[Good 'ol Boy]

Apparently the sierra club also endorses Wagman's plastering of every city owned median and right or way all over town with his yard signs in violation of the city ordinance.

Wagman has also put his signs on privately owned properties listed for sale which appear to be vacant.

I guess he feels like the ends justify the means.

I wonder how much time and money this action is costing the city's codes compliance department?

[Pelican Pete]

"We did have some overzelous campaign organizers"... BS!

5 or 10 Signs would be an Overzelous campaign organizer, 600 is a coordinated effort.

In Fact I have it on VERY good authority that Scott himself has been involved in sign shenanigans.

I am aware of 3 property owners who have had Commercial WAGman signs erected on their private property without permission.

If WAGman chooses to run his campaign this way, how will he run this city?

Scott, the rules DO apply to you!

[Driftwood]

Scott,

You have apparently underestimated the power of signs to sway the voters.

This stunt of yours has certainly swayed my vote!

[HD]

Scotty - no one is buying that load of crap. You spent $60,000.00 trying to buy City Hall, bought 600 more signs that no one wanted, and advised your "overzealous campaign organizers" to put them everywhere. If this is how you "lead" your organizers, the leaders in your campaign, then heaven help us if you get elected. Every light pole, stop sign, median, had a sign which had to be removed at my expense. Every property with a for sale sign, vacant lot and fast food drive thru had a sign. You want this way to bad, and are showing your true colors. Now who's running a sign campaign? What's next?

[Civic Activist]

Wagman and his minions will go to any extent to get his name out. Well they got it out - all negative. Just another dumb stunt by team Wagman. If he can't obey this little law, how will he be in city hall?? Mark your absentee ballot and don't forget his name - skip it.

[working class dog in this city]

Scott you just lost the Mayors office. Didn't your mother teach you how to play nice. How much will this cost us the tax payers of this great city to clean up your trash. You should say your sorry to the city of St.Pete and offer to pay for the clean up.Stick to selling and dumbing paint your good at that.

[Tent City Toby!]

Look at it this way… he’s just trying to kick-off his recycling program!

or

Maybe he’s just trying to help the homeless… tape a few of those together and I’ve got a plastic condo for the weekend.

[Whatev]

I'm sure the others wish they had thought of it. you think voters read the hater comments here...NO but the effort did give Scott thousands of impressions to those driving to work today. oh please, it's called guerrilla marketing.

[Zen Master]

"dumbing paint" Is that what the kids call it now?

The republicans have been sniffing paint or "dumbing paint" as you call it for years!

[yard signs]

Are gay and so are the posters complianing about them. If scott had the organizational power to place 600 yard signs over night then I am more impressed with that ground game than I am with sore losers.

[Overnight]

Could Deveron be behind the complaints? Oh wait - can he even drive???

[Hey Mitch]

I am glad you all are now admitting that placing the signs was an organized tactic to gain much needed name recognition.

What happened to all the Google Pay per click "Vote of Scott Wagman" ads?

Oops that's right they were a violation.

Not a great "ground game"

[wags]

Only Wagman morons will think that this was a good idea. Calling on your ground game to litter the entire city, requiring city employees to clean up your mess, at a time you are running to lead the city - its not guerilla marketing - its illegal and immoral, and shows a lacks of character.

[jim]

Mr. Wagman is my neighbor, my friend, and until this morning, my choice for Mayor. He just flushed my contribution and my vote down the toilet. I regret ever being involved in his nasty campaign.

[beth]

mr wagman just because my property has a for sale sign doesnt give you an invitation to put your sleazy sign in my yard. i still live here and i dont like you. please respect my private property rights.

[Whatev]

Not a Wagman, Scott Paint or any other sort of staffer—I am a proud supporter. Call it like you see it, it still gave him a great amount of exposure. In my mind, he remains the best candidate regardless of any so-called missteps. Every one of your guys has nothing BUT name recognition. Not much else to offer but a lame history of government service, massive ties to special interests and the ability to copy the main issue of public concern that that Scott identified first-- crime. You guys are way too easy to read.

[Whatev]

Beth and Jim = Deveron and Bill. I'm sure the real Beth and Jim haven't gotten home from work yet.

[saintpetersblog]

I just so happened to be coming home from a night on the town when I noticed someone putting out yard signs in the right-of-way at the intersection of 4th Street and 83rd Avenue.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the signs were for Scott Wagman. Upon even closer inspection, I noticed that it was Scott Wagman himself illegally placing the yard signs in the right-of-way, a huge violation of city ordinances. Hence this story:

Wagman said his campaign had not intentionally violated city rules.

"We did have some overzealous campaign organizers that didn't listen to instructions and put them in the right of way," Wagman said.

Again, I apologize for the grainy footage, but it was the best I could do on the fly. I will try to clean up the video. It's really only the first few frames in which you see Wagman.

But let Scott deny that it isn't him on that video. The guy is a flat-out liar.

http://saintpetersblog1.blogspot.com/2009/07/video-scott-wagman-illegally-placing.html

[that's the spirit, peter!]

Well, that does it for me Peter. I can clearly tell that's Scott or Godzilla or Big Foot or an alien or something. Wow, first rate—you are truly a bomb, I mean da bomb.

[saintpetersblog]

Hey, I know the video sucks. I wasn't exactly expecting to shoot a video of it. But I'm sure the Mobil gas station has better surveillance or something else will come out.

I actually thought I was taping a longer version, but I didn't get it. Wagman actually came over to say hi until he noticed who it was.

But the Wagman mobile was parked in that payday loan company on 83rd and 4th. Young guy was with with him.

Im working on getting the video cleaned up. I will soon, Scott, soon. You better fess up.

[that's the spirit, peter!]

That's right Peter, cause this is clearly the story of a lifetime for you. Candidates never, ever place signs in medians or right of ways before voting starts. None of us have ever, ever seen that before. No candidate would ever, ever think of doing that. I've certainly never seen it before... cause no candidate would ever think of doing that. It never happens... ever. So this is clearly a big, big story. You run Forest, run.

[Jack D.]

Hey Peter, get back to the table already. I'm missing you. Stop trying too hard to reclaim your old glory if there ever was one. We're good together–you and I and the poker chips. Let's stay out til the early morn til you're puking on yourself and still out of luck.

(Why do I always get stuck with desperate losers?)
JD

[saintpetersblog]

Im not saying its a big story. Its just Scott Wagman lying. Again.

I know candidates put out yard signs in right of ways. Ive done it for candidates. But we werent stupid enough to deny it. We werent stupid enough to say that "sign monsters" were out to get us.

No matter what, the best was seeing Wagman's face last night. He was all happy someone recognized him, then he realized it was the same guy that just got him fined a few grand. Oh thats right, Scott was doing another shady tactic, posting Google ads without a disclaimer.

It must have been the disclaimer monster that took that away.

And Jack, what a night, last night. Won the 1:00 p.m. Main tournament, then got the VIP treatment at Vegas Showgirls. Wish you were there, but your daughter said Hi.

[that's the spirit, peter!]

Well, let's take this bit by bit shall we? 1) Yes, yes you are saying it's a big story as apparently Mobil or some other tape with Scott's crotch showing getting out of a car is going to surface. You just said “shady”—what are you, the Enquirer?! 2) Speaking of shady, I think you should look into the ads a bit more. Alex Sink runs them, Dan Gelber runs them, Obama ran them. I'll put down a "hundo" you're wrong about that. I mean, come on—by the time you put the disclaimer in, what would be left? And I just did a search and they’re still running. 3) The only thing Scott lies about is what you’ve made up (there’s the sociopath in you again). Sign monsters?-- everyone's signs get stolen or “removed.” I’m sure you’ve done that too or maybe you just stick to campaign funds?

[that's the spirit, peter!]

Well, let's take this bit by bit shall we? 1) Yes, yes you are saying it's a big story as apparently Mobil or some other tape with Scott's crotch showing getting out of a car is going to surface. You just said “shady”—what are you, the Enquirer?! 2) Speaking of shady, I think you should look into the ads a bit more. Alex Sink runs them, Dan Gelber runs them, Obama ran them. I'll put down a "hundo" you're wrong about that. I mean, come on—by the time you put the disclaimer in, what would be left? And I just did a search and they’re still running. 3) The only thing Scott lies about is what you’ve made up (there’s the sociopath in you again). Sign monsters?-- everyone's signs get stolen or “removed.” I’m sure you’ve done that too or maybe you just stick to campaign funds?