Former Mayor Linda Kavanagh has been posting on social media about the town sign ordinance. She “hopes” that Fountain Hills businesses will discriminate against those who approved it.

Kavanagh stated, “I wonder if the mayor and three council people who voted for the sign ban will feel welcome to shop here. I hope the business community makes them feel as unwelcome as possible. Anyone who hurts others’ livelihood deserves whatever comes.”

A recent letter in this paper shed some light on the sign ordinance issue. The town must allow politicians to place election signs along public roads because the signs are “political speech” protected by the First Amendment. Kavanagh says businesses should have the same rights as politicians to place their advertising along public roads. She calls those responsible for not allowing it “hypocrites.” Kavanagh ignores that political speech has greater First Amendment protection than commercial speech. The town is limited in regulating political speech.

Kavanagh also ignores that there are regulations even for political signs. Arizona prohibits political signs in public spaces more than 60 days before elections, with removal within 15 days after the election. What limits will apply to business signs posted along town roads? Who will police the business signs, and at what cost to the town? Kavanagh doesn’t say.

Do Fountain Hills businesses really want to line public streets with advertising signs? Politicians do it, argues Kavanagh. Maybe that’s a clue that it’s not such a good idea. Citizens might not appreciate businesses acting like politicians.

Kavanagh calls the actions of the mayor and three councilmembers “anti-business.” She hopes local businesses discriminate against them. How is discrimination against customers “pro-business?” How does discrimination advance the “livelihood” of the business owner? One hopes Fountain Hills businesses will reject the questionable advice from this divisive politician.