Who is Scott L. Cannon

I.F. businessman stages protest over sign

Scott Cannon, who’s running for a Legislature seat, believes politics played a part in his landlord’s decision to yank his political sign.

By PHIL DAVIDSON

An Idaho Falls businessman who’s running for a seat on the state Legislature staged a protest Tuesday after his landlord pulled the plug on a sign at his store that urged passers-by to vote Democrat.

Scott Cannon said local Republican heavyweights were behind Monday’s decision to cut the power on the electronic message reader board he programmed to display statements such as "Vote for choice and change, vote Democrat."

Cannon, who owns AC’s Sports and Pro Shop in Ammon, stood in front of the unlit sign Tuesday, clad in his U.S. Army uniform, to protest what he sees as an attack on his constitutional right to free speech.

The folks who own the sign, though, say the move was merely a business decision.

The sign is connected to an 8-by-12-foot display for The Children’s Center, which treats youths for various biological and behavioral disorders.

Because Cannon’s store sits on the same lot as The Children’s Center, the two companies agreed to share the electronic message board.

But less than 48 hours after Cannon started running political messages on it, the property owner, Blackfoot-based Arave Construction, cut its electricity.

Cannon said officials with The Children’s Center were behind the move, mainly Chief Executive Officer Matt Smith and Community Relations Director Mike Adams.

Both are members of the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee.

"They didn’t like what was on there, so they turned it off," said Cannon, who’s running for state representative in legislative District 32. "Instead of acting like grown men, they acted like Republicans act."

Adams, however, said the decision to turn off the message board had nothing to do with partisan politics. "We didn’t think that was an appropriate place for a political sign," Adams said, adding that the company rejected requests from Republican candidates who wanted to use the sign for their campaigns. "We’re not in the position to tell people to go one way or the other politically. We just felt that it was very inappropriate."

Adams said The Children’s Center might have approved the sign if Cannon had put something in the message stating that these were his or AC Sports’ views. However, he said Cannon never cleared the message with anyone. Cannon said he would have changed the message if Smith or Adams had asked him.