Posted on 07/24/2004 4:12:09 PM PDT by Libloather
Defiant owner keeps anti-DNC sign
By Casey Ross
Saturday, July 24, 2004
City officials have laid a smack down on an irate North Station pizza shop owner who is facing fines for posting an unpermitted pro-Bush sign on his business as delegates flock to Boston for the Democratic National Convention.
Mark Pasquale, owner of Halftime Pizza, was slapped with a citation Thursday evening and ordered to remove the sign until he gets a permit. Boston police also tossed in a charge for a locked exit door at the restaurant.
``It's my building and I can put a sign there if I want,'' a defiant Pasquale said yesterday. ``Signs welcoming the DNC are OK. Pro-Kerry signs are OK. I put up a sign saying, `Go Bush,' and I gotta take it down?''
Pasquale posted the sign - whose bold letters shout, `D.N.C. THANKS FOR NOTHING! GO BUSH' - after road closures and parking hassles prompted him to shut down during convention week.
Boston police, which issued the citations at 5 p.m. Thursday, said a dozen establishments near the FleetCenter were cited this week.
``He was not the only one,'' police spokeswoman Beverly Ford said. ``If he would have gotten the proper permits, he wouldn't have gotten a citation.''
Ford did not know how long it's been since police cracked down on unpermitted signs in the city.
Pasquale's restaurant was flooded with phone calls yesterday as residents sought to toss in their 2 cents about presidential politics and the upcoming convention. Nick LaRussa drove to the restaurant from South Boston yesterday to offer support and a $20 donation.
``I'm not a fan of the DNC coming here,'' he said. ``All these privileged delegates have free reign over the city.''
Pasquale said he plans to reopen Friday after delegates leave town.
``I just want them to leave me alone and let me run my business,'' he said.
I guess she didn't close the deal?
Its miraculous it is still there.
nice pic!
I'll send my share to pay his masters fines.
See post above for address.
My thoughts exactly!
My daughter's law partner, (he owns the lawfirm and the building...she's leaving in 2 weeks) is a Democrat, too, and he's always screaming at her, too. She tries NOT to talk about politics in the office because she cannot carry on a calm debate with him. He WANTS to pay more taxes. LOL
Great idea!
Freepers.....
After the convention ends...
Dial up his business and buy a couple of pizzas...
Have them delivered to the nearest precinct or firehouse...or let him decide ...
Im in for 2 pies...
Register your order!
BUMP back atcha
That's right, Mr. Pasquale. You don't live in America. You live in Boston.
Great sign.
But, Mr. Pasquale, they're DEMOCRATS.
I try to keep politics out of my store. It's a business, and I wan't Dem money as much as Republican money. I do usually have Fox news on the TV though. :)
The other day a man came in, he had a cane, and the elbow patches on his jacket (it was 90F outside). He listened to the TV for a minute, then exclaimed to me that "The Republicans can't take it when someone says something bad about Bush." I simply replied..."Perhaps, but I suppose it goes both ways."
The man persisted, obviously trying to get me to agree with him, or state my own political opinions..."Fox news is just "Right Wing" propaganda, everyone knows it." Again, I responded politely..."It seems all news services, not just Fox, are attempting to influence our political opinions one way or the other."
At this point I believe the man realized that I did not agree with him (without me even having to say so.) and he went on to rant about how we had to get this "corrupt" administration out of office. I simply handed him his change and gave him a smile that said it all. The guy stomped out of my store in a state of semi-rage, and not once did I say anything good or bad about anyone. I did not state my political leanings. Simply because I refused to openly endorse his political opinion...he was mad at me.
Very good!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.