Former Fresno State student runs for mayor;faces sign controversy

By Krisse Mansfield

Mayoral candidate Sue Saigal unknowingly put her campaign signs in illegal places, claiming she didn’t receive the memorandum of rules until Jan. 27, she said.

Saigal had placed her campaign signs outside of designated areas, prompting city councilman Brian Calhoun to remove one of her signs on the corner of Herndon and Fruit. He was caught taking down the sign by an off-duty policeman.

The memorandum sent to candidates focuses on city ordnances and charter provisions. Although the memorandum was dated Oct. 24, Saigal said it was unclear whether other political candidates received the information on time.

“ I didn’t have the rules, so I had no idea the signs were placed in illegal spaces until code enforcement called me,” Saigal said. “Once they (code enforcement) called, I told my volunteers. If I had known it was wrong, I wouldn’t have put them there.”

Saigal said by the time her staff went out the next morning, the signs had already been removed.

“ Someone got to them before us,” Saigal said. “All I know now is that I’m down $4,000.”

Saigal responded to the late memorandum by notifying city attorney Hilda Montoy. She said she asked for Calhoun to be reprimanded for his actions, in addition to a public apology. She also said she asked for reimbursement for her signs.

Montoy was unavailable for comment.

Calhoun said his actions were justified in a Jan. 24 Fresno Bee article.

“ She knows better,” Calhoun said. “It was a blatant cheating act. I don’t care if it’s the president of the United States sticking his signs out there. I was one person and I took one sign out. I think I had every right in the world to do it.”

Saigal said his actions reflect poorly on all politicians.

“ As an elected city official, if he does not follow due process and the law, how do we expect the rest of the citizens of Fresno to comply with the law?” said Saigal in her letter to Montoy. “Nobody can or should take the law in their hands, including Mr. Calhoun, who is giving all politicians a bad name by conducting himself as a vigilante.”

In addition to the one sign Calhoun admitted to removing, Saigal said that more than 200 of her 250 campaign signs have come up missing.

“ At first I thought that it was normal for your signs to disappear. But for over 200? It’s just not normal,” Saigal said..

Saigal said this is an example of the infighting in Fresno politics.

“ This is exactly what happens with infighting and petty problems,” said Saigal. “The issues get pushed back and I don’t want that. Even If I don’t win, I just don’t want people to have a negative view of political campaigns.”

Saigal also said pictures of Calhoun’s illegally placed signs have been delivered to her office since the brouhaha began. The pictures show Calhoun with a campaign booth set up on a city street, a poster on a city utility pole and a sign placed on a city street median.

“ Someone just dropped off a package at my office with these pictures,” she said. “I actually think it’s quite funny.”

In response, Calhoun said Saigal’s time would be better spent working on her mayoral platform and how she would like to improve Fresno.

“ I believe that is a message people would like to read about and have information about so that they can make an informed decision when it is time to cast their vote,” Calhoun said.

Political science club President Richard Sanikian said political infighting causes people to lose faith in politics.

“ I do believe that even on a national and local scale it reflects badly on politics. It may keep people from voting because they’re going to have a bad view of politics in general,” he said.