A Massachusetts town is spending taxpayer money trying to overpower and obscure a political message being projected onto the local water tower.
The town of Hanson is scrambling to respond to a message supporting former President Donald Trump’s 2024 run for the White House after it was noticed Friday.
Local administrators and officials have used government resources, including blinding spotlights and highway department employees, in a failed attempt to overpower the “Trump 2024” projection.
According to a message released by town administrator Lisa Green, the town is targeting the resident who is believed to be projecting the image from his own property.
“On Friday, Oct. 11, the Town of Hanson became aware that a resident was projecting the image of a political sign from their property onto the Town of Hanson municipal water tower at 228 High St,” Green’s official statement said. “This misleads the public into believing that this activity is sanctioned by or condoned by the Town.”
Green said the town does not endorse any specific candidate and does not allow political signage on municipal property.
The projected sign is also a violation of the town’s bylaws, according to Green. She said there are plans to punish the resident over his pro-Trump projection.
“The Town is working on a Cease and Desist order to present to the resident,” Green’s statement continued.
“The Town intends to issue the maximum fine of $100 per day until the activity is discontinued.”
Should the projection be allowed to stay on the water tower?
Efforts to illuminate the tower with powerful spotlights in an attempt to dim the political message have so far failed to render it unreadable. Green said the town is burning through resources and plans to spend even more money to erase the message.
“This individual’s actions have the potential to cost a significant amount of taxpayer dollars, including attorney fees, overtime to pay Highway Department workers to turn the spotlight on and off each day, and the potential for having to rent or purchase stronger lighting equipment,” Green’s statement said.
“The $100 per day fine will likely not cover these expenses.”
Video showed the projection on Hanson’s water tower and the failure of spotlights to completely drown it out.
NEW: Massachusets town orders resident to stop projecting a Trump 2024 sign on the town’s water tower.
Hanson, Massachusetts town leaders say they are fearful that the projection will “mislead” the public into thinking the town has endorsed Trump.
Officials say they are… pic.twitter.com/hNkmA5Vn1d
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 14, 2024
Despite Green’s position that the town is in the right, residents are not entirely sold on the offensive against the pro-Trump message.
“The generators have been keeping us up at night,” Patrick Croghan, who lives across the street from the water tower, told WHDH. “They’ve been really loud, and that’s been more of a problem in my eyes.
“I thought it was ingenious and laughed and got a kick out of it, but I can understand the town not wanting it up there, 100 percent, just because it is a political thing.”
At least one other resident believes the projection should be allowed to stay.
“The town has to ensure that we are following the state laws, and I believe somebody has a right to put a Trump sign anywhere they want or a Walz-Harris [sign],” resident Lisa Carson told WHDH.
Despite the threats against the person behind the projection and efforts to blot it entirely from the water tower, it appears the pro-Trump message will continue to shine for the foreseeable future.
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