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A Bush-Cheney 2004 billboard in Avon has been vandalized along with other campaign signs around the Eagle Valley.
AVON — Enough of the burning Bush and enough of the Avon chain saw massacre.
Vandals trespassing on his property to chainsaw the middle out of Republican campaign signs spurred landowner Magnus Lindholm Wednesday to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading the arrest of those responsible.
Earlier this week, somebody chain-sawed the middle out of two Bush signs on his property in Avon at the William Post Boulevard exit on Interstate 70. A “Bush/Cheney ’04” campaign sign was burned in Wolcott.
The Avon signs had been torn down previously, and others around the state have been damaged. Also targeted were campaign signs in other parts of the state promoting the U.S. Senate campaign of Pete Coors, also a Republican.
No signs promoting Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry or Senate hopeful Ken Salazar have been reported damaged.
Lindholm said local Republicans leased his property and have his permission to stand their campaign signs at the highly visible I-70 exit, which leads to The Home Depot and the Wal-Mart Supercenter. He said the damage is deplorable and he’s willing to pay to help catch the vandals.
“This is extremely uncivilized behavior. It’s ridiculous,” said Lindholm. “When I lease something to someone, they should be able to use it for the uses we agreed to. For someone to come onto private land and destroy their private property is completely unacceptable.”
Cars owned by Eagle County resident Gunther Schmidt and his daughter, which carried Bush/Cheney bumper stickers, have also been targeted. While the damage was light — the bumper stickers were scratched off and the cars scratched — Schmidt said it’s not the extent, but the principle of free speech that matters.
“If you are for the Republican party, it seems to me that the Democrats take all kinds of measures to destroy your signs,” said Schmidt. “I thought we lived in a free country where you could express your opinion in a non-violent way, without being punished for it.”
If someone wants to make a statement, they should go to public meetings and the polls and make it there, Schmidt said.
“I think this is like going back to Hitler,” said Schmidt. “You should be able to voice your opinion without becoming a target of violence. Maybe those people should go back to those countries that don’t have free speech.”
All the signs were ransacked late Saturday night. The two Avon signs were repaired, then on Monday night the middle was chain-sawed out of Bush’s name.
Henri Stone, co-chairwoman of Bush’s Eagle County campaign, who put up the Bush signs, immediately condemned the acts with some strong rhetoric, likening the perpetrators to “Hitler brown shirts.”
“Apparently the Democratic party is so scared of President Bush that they’re willing to inhibit free speech,” said Stone.
Eagle County Democratics called for a halt to both the vandalism and the rhetoric of Republicans who’ve commented on the incidents.
“The officials of the Eagle County Democratic Party are deeply offended by the acts of violence against the campaign signs of the republican party,” Eagle County Democratic Chairwoman Debbie Marquez said in a written statement. “We are also offended by acts of destruction directed against the Democratic campaign signs which have been reported to us. The simple fact is that some people do not respect the law and we encourage individuals who witness vandalism to report it to the local town or county law enforcement agency so that those responsible can be caught and prosecuted.”
Marquez called for a halt to Republican rhetoric responding to the incidents.
“What is also offensive are the irresponsible and scandalous accusations directed at the Eagle County Democratic Party claiming that we are somehow directing arson and vandalism,” wrote Marquez. “Not a shred of evidence was cited in support of this outrageous claim. We want Henri Stone to know that we do not have ‘hit squads’ or ‘Hitler-style brown shirts ‘destroying property.
“On the contrary, we encourage all citizens to support their candidates with signs and bumper stickers and we want anyone who destroys property to be brought to justice.”
The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incidents.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said if those responsible are caught, they will be prosecuted.
“I certainly condemn anyone who would do something like this to anyone’s personal property,” said Hurlbert. “If the person is caught, he or she will be dealt with harshly.”
Bruce Brown, a Democratic candidate for district attorney running against Hurlbert, also called for an end to the vandalism, and prosecution of those responsible.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 615, or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
Vail, Colorado
Vandals trespassing on his property to chainsaw the middle out of Republican campaign signs spurred landowner Magnus Lindholm Wednesday to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading the arrest of those responsible.
Earlier this week, somebody chain-sawed the middle out of two Bush signs on his property in Avon at the William Post Boulevard exit on Interstate 70. A “Bush/Cheney ’04” campaign sign was burned in Wolcott.
The Avon signs had been torn down previously, and others around the state have been damaged. Also targeted were campaign signs in other parts of the state promoting the U.S. Senate campaign of Pete Coors, also a Republican.
No signs promoting Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry or Senate hopeful Ken Salazar have been reported damaged.
Lindholm said local Republicans leased his property and have his permission to stand their campaign signs at the highly visible I-70 exit, which leads to The Home Depot and the Wal-Mart Supercenter. He said the damage is deplorable and he’s willing to pay to help catch the vandals.
“This is extremely uncivilized behavior. It’s ridiculous,” said Lindholm. “When I lease something to someone, they should be able to use it for the uses we agreed to. For someone to come onto private land and destroy their private property is completely unacceptable.”
Cars owned by Eagle County resident Gunther Schmidt and his daughter, which carried Bush/Cheney bumper stickers, have also been targeted. While the damage was light — the bumper stickers were scratched off and the cars scratched — Schmidt said it’s not the extent, but the principle of free speech that matters.
“If you are for the Republican party, it seems to me that the Democrats take all kinds of measures to destroy your signs,” said Schmidt. “I thought we lived in a free country where you could express your opinion in a non-violent way, without being punished for it.”
If someone wants to make a statement, they should go to public meetings and the polls and make it there, Schmidt said.
“I think this is like going back to Hitler,” said Schmidt. “You should be able to voice your opinion without becoming a target of violence. Maybe those people should go back to those countries that don’t have free speech.”
All the signs were ransacked late Saturday night. The two Avon signs were repaired, then on Monday night the middle was chain-sawed out of Bush’s name.
Henri Stone, co-chairwoman of Bush’s Eagle County campaign, who put up the Bush signs, immediately condemned the acts with some strong rhetoric, likening the perpetrators to “Hitler brown shirts.”
“Apparently the Democratic party is so scared of President Bush that they’re willing to inhibit free speech,” said Stone.
Eagle County Democratics called for a halt to both the vandalism and the rhetoric of Republicans who’ve commented on the incidents.
“The officials of the Eagle County Democratic Party are deeply offended by the acts of violence against the campaign signs of the republican party,” Eagle County Democratic Chairwoman Debbie Marquez said in a written statement. “We are also offended by acts of destruction directed against the Democratic campaign signs which have been reported to us. The simple fact is that some people do not respect the law and we encourage individuals who witness vandalism to report it to the local town or county law enforcement agency so that those responsible can be caught and prosecuted.”
Marquez called for a halt to Republican rhetoric responding to the incidents.
“What is also offensive are the irresponsible and scandalous accusations directed at the Eagle County Democratic Party claiming that we are somehow directing arson and vandalism,” wrote Marquez. “Not a shred of evidence was cited in support of this outrageous claim. We want Henri Stone to know that we do not have ‘hit squads’ or ‘Hitler-style brown shirts ‘destroying property.
“On the contrary, we encourage all citizens to support their candidates with signs and bumper stickers and we want anyone who destroys property to be brought to justice.”
The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incidents.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said if those responsible are caught, they will be prosecuted.
“I certainly condemn anyone who would do something like this to anyone’s personal property,” said Hurlbert. “If the person is caught, he or she will be dealt with harshly.”
Bruce Brown, a Democratic candidate for district attorney running against Hurlbert, also called for an end to the vandalism, and prosecution of those responsible.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 949-0555, ext. 615, or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
Vail, Colorado
