Coral Gables resident and activist George Volsky got home one day last week and found a surprise in his front yard: A political sign for the campaign of Jorge L. Fors, Jr., who is running for commission.
A note on the front door explained.
“Thank you for allowing my campaign to place a sign on your lawn and for your continued support,” it starts. And then: “If the sign was placed by mistake, please feel free to remove it. Best, Jorge Fors.”
If the sign was “placed by mistake?”
Seems more like a campaign strategy. Instead of a “quita y pon” committee remov
ing signs and putting up his, Fors has a “mejor pedir perdon que pedir permiso” committee who would rather “as forgiveness than ask permission.”
Volsky said he left his house at noon Thursday and came back at 3 p.m.
“This has never happened in Coral Gables. I have lived here 56 years and it never happened to me,” said Volsky. “I feel disrespected. I don’t feel this is proper.”
Volsky is used to having people ask to put signs at his high-traffic Alhambra Circle home. The only one he has ever put up is one for the current Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli, because he felt that the campaign had become ethnic.
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He hasn’t decided who he’ll support in this open commission race, a three way 
so far to fill Commissioner Frank Quesada‘s empty suit, er, seat: Fors is running against former City Commissioner Ralph Cabrera and former interim city manager Carmen Olazabal. But now it’s between the two other candidates. Fors is out. “I’m not going to support him,” Volksy said.
That’s exactly what he was afraid of, said Fors who called the episode an error, not a campaign tactic — which actually could work in some other communities where people might not care as much. He blamed an overzealous volunteer in North Gables who mixed up a thank you list — to send postcards to voters who opened their doors to canvassers — with a yard sign list.
“I know exactly who he [Volsky] is and I wouldn’t put a sign on his house without his permission,” Fors said. “I don’t have the courage to do that in Coral Gables. I would be afraid of losing a vote.”
And the note?
“Because I know some people who said they would put up a sign may have forgotten,” said Fors, who went back to Alhambra Circle and removed the other signs placed without permission as soon as he learned of the snafu.
All except one, because the homeowner decided to keep it.
Coral Gables: Candidate’s campaign yard sign was uninvited trespasser or mistake added by Ladra on
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