Signs of the times
Toolbox
By Louis Porter Vermont Press Bureau - Published: November 1, 2008
MONTPELIER – It seems unlikely anyone would complain that Sen. Phil Scott was picking trash up on the side of the road most of the year. But when an election comes around, the unlikely happens.
Scott and volunteers with his state Senate campaign began earlier this fall to pick up litter as part of his re-election campaign. It seemed a good way to clean up some of the miles of road in his county, and a good way to avoid doing "honk and waves," a not terribly fun campaign right-of-passage in which candidates stand next to the road and wave signs.
But the problem is that while Scott and his volunteers were gathering garbage, they were wearing orange safety vests and had put campaign signs along the state right-of-way – a violation of state law, according to challenger Kimberly Cheney, a former Attorney General. And until Friday morning when he secured a permit, Scott did not have state permission to do the work.
"It looks like state employees are supporting Scott for Senate," Cheney said. "My objection simply is using the state roadways as a campaign vehicle."
After Cheney objected to the Agency of Transportation, the state got in touch with Scott earlier this week. The Republican incumbent stopped collecting the trash until Friday, when he gained permission to clean up the roadways again – and when he went back out, he left the "Scott for Senate" signs at home, Scott said.
All of this might be a tempest in a teapot except that in what may be a tight election for the state Senate – with eight candidates vying for three seats – you never know what might tip the balance.
The whole pickup idea got started because of a bicycle.
"This summer I did a lot of cycling," Scott said, noting he logged about 2,100 miles.
"You are looking at the conditions of the highways or you are looking at the shoulders," Scott said. And what did he see? "A huge amount of debris and rubbish."
He also said he is not fond of waving at cars as a campaign technique.
"I am not very good at just standing around," Scott said.
So the idea of picking up trash was born. But it was still a campaign, so Scott put out signs about his race, as well as road work signs (he is co-owner of Dubois Construction). However, you need a permit for doing work in the right-of-way, and you can't put campaign signs on state property, no matter who the candidate is, an AOT spokesperson said.
Scott doesn't dispute that, and he has since gotten permits.
But he also doesn't really understand Cheney's objection.
"It just seems petty and a little legalistic," he said.
But Cheney points out that the rules around campaigns and highway work are there for fairness and for safety. And few like campaign signs along the roadways, although candidates and volunteers often put them there anyway.
"I just think he should find a better way to do whatever he intends to do without violating various laws," Cheney said. Adding to the dispute were pervious run-ins he has had with Scott over lighted campaign signs that were too large and not legal, said Cheney, a Democrat.
"It is a petty dispute, but what really got me upset over the years was the use of the large message boards," he said.
Scott said he no longer uses those signs either.
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