Holy crap!

James Bell is facing as much as three years in prison for removing campaign signs from a railroad right-of-way in my hometown of Lithia Springs, Ga. This is insane.

The area where the signs were posted, between Bankhead Highway (U.S. 78) and the railroad track, is known as "the dogwood strip," because years ago the local garden club planted it with dogwood trees as part of a beautification project.

The posting of signs in that area has never been permitted. It would defeat the purpose of "beautification," if this high-visibility area -- along the main east-west route through town -- were cluttered up with signs for real estate agencies, nail salons, garage sales, etc.

Bell volunteers with a local anti-littering group, and pulled up some campaign signs that had been illegal posted in the dogwood strip. Three Republican candidates filed theft charges, and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners is giving Bell the run-around, claiming not to know what the relevant ordinances are.

I went to school with James, who also just happens to be one of the Georgia delegates with whom I recently traveled to the Libertarian Party convention in Denver. His removal of the campaign signs was not politically motivated -- over the years, he's removed all kinds of signs from the dogwood strip -- but this prosecution might be.