Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Here's one of the more egregious examples I've seen of local politicians foisting their own aesthetic judgments into regulations, to the detriment of small-business owners:

David Rosage wanted to add tropical flair to his snowball stand in Riviera Beach: cut-out, colorfully painted plywood palm trees.

He figured they would perk up his roadside stand, but Anne Arundel County inspectors ordered him to remove them and a community bulletin board that they said violated sign laws.

He was charged $2,000 for that and additional problems with his parking lot that houses his two stands—the other sells hot dogs—and had to complete what he called "a crazy laundry list of things to do," including installing poles on Mountain Road to mark the entrance and exit."

Obviously, it takes more than one sign to have a small business," he said. "It's very difficult to operate a small business in the county."

I guess fining the privilege of putting up fake trees is a good way to raise money for the county. After voters in Anne Arundel County read this article, though, it may be not be a good strategy for getting re-elected.