Easton's Code Officers Threaten Homeowners For Displaying Campaign Signs

Back in 2015, Easton Mayor Sal Panto appointed Stephen Nowroski, a "great" candidate, as the city's new code administrator. Hizzoner failed to tell City Council that Nowroski left his position at Forty Fort Borough in the wake of allegations that his code enforcement department was playing the retaliation and political favorite game.  The state Department of Labor & Industry later reported that Nowroski only bothered inspecting about 25% of the properties for which permits had been issued. It should come as no surprise to anyone that, about a year later, the building at 323 Northampton Street collapsed. Previous calls to Nowroski's department were ignored.  Did Panto can this guy? Nah, he promoted him. Nowroski now is also the Planning Director and Zoning Director. And in his latest blunder, this Panto pick has stepped all over the First Amendment rights of Easton citizens.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, Nowroski's Nazis began harassing people displaying three lawn signs for various candidates, even Panto. They were sent letters telling them to reduce the number or face a $1,000 fine. Officers actually cruised up and down the streets, removing signs from the private property between a person's sidewalk and the street.

Here's what Easton's Patti Bruno posted on Facebook: "My PARENTS who have resided in the City of Easton for over 3 DECADES and have displayed signs in the flower bed, off the street, of their private property for as many years, were  threatened with a $1,000 fine for 'too many political signs' on their PRIVATE property ... ."

In doing so, they may have been following Easton's code, but that's trumped by the First Amendment. Campaign signs are core political speech. No municipality has any right to tell citizens who they support in their front yard or when they can say it. In 2010, South Whitehall Tp lawyer Rick Orloski sued Township officials when they attempted to enforce a sign ordinance for political candidates. He was represented by Bucks County lawyer Larry Otter, who has been successful in nearly 100 campaign sign lawsuits filed against municipalities throughout the state. A municipality can remove a sign on its own property; on telephone poles or streetlights; or if it is a traffic hazard. But no municipality can interfere with a citizen's right to express himself on his own property, whether it is a campaign sign or an upside down flag. 

The United States Supreme Court in 1994 ruled that campaign lawn signs, a "venerable means of communication that is both unique and important," are protected by the First Amendment. "A special respect for individual liberty in the home has long been part of our culture and our law ... ; that principle has special resonance when the government seeks to constrain a person's ability to speak there."

Yesterday, Easton's lawyers instructed the City that, like it or not, the First Amendment permits these signs. So Nowroski's Nazis code officers spent most of the day replanting the signs they unlawfully uprooted.  

Update 5:30 pm: I apologize for referring to Easton's code officers as Nazis. Most of them are good people. Moreover, my use of that word trivializes the real anti-Semitism that exists in our world.