Bush photos draw ire Lancaster official calls for removal

York Dispatch (PA) ^ | December 9, 2004 | JOHN M. SPIDALIERE

[Daveinyork]

Bush photos draw ire Lancaster official calls for removal By By JOHN M. SPIDALIERE Lancaster New Era

Thursday, December 09, 2004 - David Stoltzfus says there's only one reason he would take down the photos of President George W. Bush he has displayed at his baked-goods stand in Lancaster's Central Market.

Bush would have had to have lost the recent election.

Instead, he beat Democratic challenger John Kerry to win a second term.

"If it were Kerry that won, he'd be up there," says Stoltzfus, who operates the Upper Crust stand.

Doesn't matter, says City Councilman Nelson Polite. "It should come down. This is a public market."

Besides, says the Democrat, "Bush didn't win here (in Lancaster City). It is like rubbing salt on a wound."

Polite approached Stoltzfus on Nov. 12 and ask him to remove the pictures. The standholder has refused to do so, prompting Polite to say he will ask City Council to change the law so all political items would be banned in public places.

Stoltzfus said the photo of a smiling Bush, framed in green, has hung from his stand ever since Stoltzfus and his wife, Nina, opened the market stand in March 2003.

They sell cakes, cookies and other baked items.

They also have a signed 8-by-10-inch photo of the president and first lady Laura Bush sitting on a shelf below, "right next to the pictures of my grandkids," Stoltzfus said.

"I'm just trying to sell a few cakes and give honor to the president," he said.

But Polite, a Democrat, says the photos should go.

Polite says he had received complaints from constituents who thought the photos were inappropriate, especially after the presidential election. The market is public property and displaying political paraphernalia, no matter what the intent, says Polite, is inappropriate and divisive.

"There should be rules," Polite says.

Even if Kerry had won, Polite said he'd be asking Stoltzfus to take the photos down.

Stoltzfus is a Republican, but that hardly matters, he says. He displays the photo to honor the office, not the man.

A string of supporters, including Republican Mayor Charlie Smithgall and former Republican Mayor Art Morris, have made their way to the Upper Crust to offer their support to Stoltzfus.

Some of Stoltzfus' fellow standholders are considering putting up photos of Bush in solidarity with Stoltzfus.

Market Master Ernie Thomas said there are no rules about hanging political items at market stands. Even if there were, says Thomas, "That is our president, whether it is a Democrat or a Republican."

[Daveinyork]

Sore/Loserman strikes again.

[wideawake]

So it is illegal now in the United States to display a picture of the President of the United States on public property?

[AgThorn]

unbelievable ....

[NRA1995]

And they call US Nazis?

[wvnavyvet]

Hey, it's hard being Polite and a idiot at the same time.

[N3WBI3]

All the idiot (polite) is going to do is encourage more people to put up the picture..

I wonder if he goes around to all those yuppie places that sell anti bush buttons??

[Boundless]

> So it is illegal now in the United States to display
> a picture of the President of the United States on
> public property?

This idiot pol needs to see whose picture hangs in
every Post Office.

[BJungNan]

Fax him a portrait of Bush. This one prints out nicely on one page. Fax number is for the city office.

Here is a direct link to the phone if you can print from your browser

Bush Portrait Here

[BookaT]

This is crap. If people dont like it they can buy thier muffins in a store that has ker...I mean gor..hill.. well no food store could survive with those pictures hanging.

Seriously, money talks losers walk. If people think it is bad they should not buy there. But it looks like enough people are ok with it.

[BJungNan]

Oops! Correction:

Here is a direct link to the photo if you want to print from your browser.

I wrote
Here is a direct link to the phone if you can print from your browser

[brightx]

BTTT

[Gabz]

The market is public property and displaying political paraphernalia, no matter what the intent, says Polite, is inappropriate and divisive.

All well and good, Mr. Mayor........but since when is a photograph of the sitting President of the United States "political paraphernalia"??????

I'm sure there are plenty of portraits of Presidents in numerous public properties. What no picture of the President in City Hall? shame.

[Dat Mon]

"The standholder has refused to do so, prompting Polite to say he will ask City Council to change the law so all political items would be banned in public places."

Polite is effectively advocating the banning of campaign ads during an election campaign.

Blatantly unconstitutional. Any elected official who advocates overturning the constitution should be impeached or recalled, possibly jailed.

[billorites]

This is the one that drives the left nuts.

[Fiddlstix]

Speechless.......

[tx_eggman]

Already posted

Link Here

[tx_eggman]

But for the benefit of those who still need the info:

Here Nelson's pic:

A link to his lodge:Link to Lodge

His email address: PoliteSr14@aol.com

Nelson is quite an interesting gentleman

Here Nelson's pic:

A link to his lodge:Link to Lodge

His email address: PoliteSr14@aol.com

Nelson is quite an interesting gentleman

[raivyn]

"The market is public property and displaying political paraphernalia, no matter what the intent, says Polite, is inappropriate and divisive."

Oh for the love of Pete! Political paraphernalia?? I guess we should start yanking pictures of former Presidents displayed within "public property"...

[CriticalJ]

I swear. The more I read about stuff like this, the more it seems like the dims are portraying the Soviet Unions sensorship policies.

Does anyone in their party realize the hypocracy and danger of their sensorship policies.

[sgtbono2002]

When I look at the picture it explains it all.