It’s that time in the election cycle when our city is littered with political billboards. Cheesy, fake grins of politicians in suits are pasted up along our city streets. It’s a mystery to me how such blatant insincerity and spin win any votes at all. Inevitably, many billboards are defaced. I saw some being removed and replaced this morning – on a site owned by a property developer.

Someone had gone to a lot of trouble on a billboard next to these. It is beside a busy road and I wonder if they worked in the dead of night, or in daylight with impunity and a Sharpie. I was reminded of Virginia Fallon’s column in The Press this week about the more creative defacing of billboards.

I feel sorry for the people living next door to this field of sprouting billboards, with their river views impeded by the visual pollution. At least they see only the backs of them.

Some parties choose a more modest sign.