Free speech is DEAD in Issaquah !!!

I picked up approx 25 stakes and " YES I-695 " signs last week as there was no one on record to distribute them in my area.

I spent half a day Saturday looking for strategic places for signs so they would be seen by as many people as possible. Places like Newport Way, Gilman, SR900, 12th street, and in my neighborhood. As I was putting up signs, people driving by or stopped at lights would put their windows down and comment on the signs or I-695. All were FOR !!! I even had someone stop and ask me for a couple to put in their neighborhood. I was stoked at the support. As I put the signs up, I saw some NO I-695 signs around. The thought to deface, remove, block, or otherwise stifle free speech NEVER entered my mind !!! As I returned home, I decided to put 2 signs on the street leading to my house ( one facing in and the other facing out) just to remind neighbors to THINK and vote YES I-695. That was about 3 PM Saturday. By 4PM Saturday,on my way out of neighborhood, a "neighbor" had placed a " We oppose I-695 " IN FRONT of one of my signs, not by, or in the area, but right in front. I got out of my car ( tabs are already paid :(> ) and took the sign from in front of the sign I had recently placed and placed it BESIDE mine. Note that there were NO NoI-695 signs in my neighborhood before. On my way back home, NOW BOTH of the signs are gone along with No I-695 sign. I look around and find them on the side of the road. I put them BACK UP. At 5:30 PM they are gone again. What creeps !!! They MUST be SCARED !!!! This is the mentality of the citizens that oppose I-695. That's scary and not because it's Halloween. So now I know " FREE SPEECH IS DEAD IN ISSAQUAH !!!"

I just hope that it passes to show them that sort of action doesn't work !!!!

VOTE TOMMOROW and Bring someone with you !!!!

-- Charlie Beeson (charliebee@wa.freei.net), November 01, 1999

Answers

Oh, yea, I forgot to tell you that I also brought a sign to a friend on the plateau and we put it up on Saturday. His lasted longer than mine, "they" pulled it up and tore up the signs and threw it in his driveway Sunday noon, in broad daylight. How Bold !!!!

-- Charles Beeson (charliebe@tcimediaps.com), November 01, 1999.

Charlie,

Thanks for fighting the good fight. We have also had our Yes on 695 flyers and signs taken down, however, we continue to fight back and we will continue to do so until the last vote is cast. See you in the trenches!

Tony

-- Tony (eagleross@pioneernet.net), November 02, 1999.

well, its all I have to say is in Aberdeen and the whole area, there are more yes signs then no signs, and everybody I'v talked to are for I-695, they say it is pay back time, its about time for them to start doing there job right, dont you think? And I see more just like 695 coming up in the future. have a great election day Charlie

-- Ray (nancyrae@mail.tss.net), November 02, 1999.

I was on Everett mall Way and I saw a guy putting up some NO-signs!!! Their was also some Yes signs I have a feeling but i have no proof of it, but I think he was taking the Yes signs down!!!!

Iam the only one in my neighborhood that has a 695 sign in my yard nobody eles has one...

-- Dave A (davarc@Premier1.net), November 02, 1999.

Speaking of signs:

A lot of every kind of signs were missing this morning on the way to work from the usual places like street corners, medians, and front yards. It seems that last night, there was a lot of search and remove of ALL kinds of signs in our area, not just 695. But the funny is which signs WERE still there: Cronik, Callon, Ives, Yes on 695, Yes on 696. Most of all the other signs... vanished overnight!

Finally, "signs" of the polls are already starting to show 695 passing. Don't let this be your "sign" not to still vote! Won't it just be supercalifragilisticexpealidoious if the results were like 80% for and 20% against or some other high Yes number!? Hey Craig, did I spell it right?

I'm a votin' tonight! And it'sa going to be Yeah!!!

-- Sandy D (sandy_d1@yahoo.com), November 02, 1999.

"Hey Craig, did I spell it right? " No. There's a "C" in there somewhere, not just too sure where, but SOMEWHERE. But that's OK, it's the ENTHUSIASM that counts.

-- The Spellmeister (craigcar@crosswinds.net), November 02, 1999.

Charlie,

I would object! Free speech is is alive and hobbling in Issaquah. I ride my bike in to work on Eastlake Sammamish every day to Gilman Blvd. On my way, I try to champerone, maintain, and add to our 'YES I- 695' signs. As a biker you get nice, close and personal view of the campaign signs. On my ride, there is not a single 'NO I-695' sign. In general, all 'YES I-695' seem to have survived. My favorite 'I-695' is a strategically (near the Issaquah Costco) placed sign that has survived for about 10 days. I was really surprised that a some 'No- er' didn't nuke it days ago.

Anyway, being on a bike, I have seen huge amounts of evidence of campaign signs being trashed. This practice really makes me sick. Trashing campaign signs is a pretty low and lame tactic.

Go I-695!!!!

Tim Whelan http://www.tgw.net

-- Tim Whelan (timwh@pobox.com), November 02, 1999.