Caption contest over before it begins!

It's the Friday before Labor Day and someone has been having fun in Van Bummer land. I tip my cap to you, whoever you are! (Perfect "smugshot" on that poster as well.)

Liu failed to file paperwork to appeal sign fines

From the Times Ledger:

Former city Comptroller John Liu said along the recent campaign trail that he is fighting $525,000 in city fines for illegal campaign posters in his 2009 comptroller run.

But his lawsuit challenging the fines has sat idle in state Supreme Court in Manhattan since February 2013 with no clear sign of when it will be initiated, court officials said.

Liu’s 2009 campaign committee, People for John Liu, originally filed the lawsuit against the city in Brooklyn in 2012 and later transferred it to the Manhattan court in February 2013.

After the transfer, the lawsuit has remained in legal limbo as Liu conducted two campaigns: an unsuccessful bid for mayor and his current primary bid against state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside).

Once the lawsuit reached Manhattan, People for John Liu never filed a request for judicial intervention, which is necessary for the case to be assigned to a judge, according to court officials.

When asked at his Primary Night party why he had not filed a request for judicial intervention yet, Liu referred TimesLedger Newspapers to the attorney representing People for John Liu in the case, Martin Connor.

Connor said the lawsuit was originally filed in Brooklyn because Manhattan’s courthouse was still closed after Superstorm Sandy hit the city. He also said a request for judicial intervention had been filed in the original case before it was transferred to Manhattan, but refused to discuss the case further.

“We’re going to be reaching a settlement later this month,” he said.

Update on creepy sign

"The creepy poster referencing terrorism has been removed from the building at Crocheron Av & 162nd Street." - The Flushing Phantom

Poster protest targets Van Bramer

Are you a Vallone Queen?

So which neighborhood is this targeted toward? Jackson Heights? Do you get the feeling someone didn't think too hard about the message of this poster?

Two-faced Grace?

Against illegal signs

Illegal signs and posters on utility poles, public walls and trees have long been an eyesore in NYC. Many civic organizations’ volunteers have spent countless unpaid hours removing these posters so their neighborhoods can remain neat and clean-looking. A piece of proposed legislation by Speaker Christine Quinn and several other council members would destroy those efforts by rewarding those who prefer to remain unaware of existing laws that prohibit defacing public property. Speaker Quinn’s new law would in effect give small businesses and non-profit organizations free "get-out-of-jail" cards for their first violations. This is absolutely wrong. The various business and merchant organizations that support this legislation should instead attempt to educate their members that it is illegal to defile public property with their advertising.

It is difficult enough for the Department of Sanitation to enforce the existing law. There are enough loopholes that allow companies to skirt the law by using cell phones and bogus addresses, making it nearly impossible for them to be tracked. Why create new loopholes for them? That’s exactly what this legislation, if passed, will do. The number of illegal signs will greatly increase and make even more of a mess of our neighborhoods.

Rather than cater to a few business groups that should know better, the city council members should instead support the efforts of those small business that advertise legally, and not at the expense of our neighborhoods.

What's really surprising is this legislation's support by Council Member Peter Vallone, who had in the past prided himself on being one of the top "go-to" council members for anti-graffiti efforts. With the increase of signs that this law will bring, either he'll be busier, or he's already given up. I've called Vallone's office, his "legislative director" Jonathan was either never given the message, or he didn't want to bother calling me back.

I wonder what other politicians are supporting this behind the scenes. Could it be the ones that have already been hit with multiple fines for their campaign posters?

Rick Duskiewicz
President, The Creedmoor Civic Association
Member, Citizens Against Graffiti Everywhere

Time to dump the trash!

Johnny the poster boy

Somehow I doubt there's an "Alliance for Asian-American Civil Liberty."

But I like the poster nonetheless.