Attention candidates: If you're missing some yard signs, you might want to check the trunk of David Crowley's Pontiac Sunfire.

Crowley, an incumbent Cincinnati councilman, admitted he's been stealing his opponents' yard signs from public rights-of-way, putting them in his trunk and throwing them away.

OK, it's not exactly stealing. Crowley said candidates who allow their signs to be placed on public property are littering, and have forfeited the sign.

"If we're going to have a city where we're going to fine people for littering and weeds and dumping, as political leaders we should be responsible about the littering we create," he said.

Doesn't he worry about being seen sabotaging an opponent's yard signs?

"I'm more afraid of getting hit by a car than anything else," he said.

Follow the money

Nick Spencer, the 25-year-old Charterite carrying the mantle of the "creative class," has gotten great press this year. USA Today and the Christian Science Monitor have taken notice of his youth-oriented campaign. CityBeat has endorsed him, and he's made this column a few times, too.

But at CityBeat, they're putting their money where their ink is.

Stephanie Dunlap, a writer for CityBeat, contributed $20 to Spencer's campaign on Oct. 13.

Dunlap wrote "No Chinese Allowed," the Oct. 1 story that caused quite a flap over Main Street developer John Elkington's alleged bias against Chinese restaurants. The story quoted Spencer and advanced his case that Democratic Councilman John Cranley's plan for Main Street should be jettisoned.

"I can see how people might see a conflict of interest," Dunlap said. "I don't pretend to always be objective. Nobody is."

Dunlap said Spencer tipped her off about Elkington.

The story was fair and balanced, said Dunlap, who also gave $20 to Damon Lynch's independent campaign.

"I support Nick Spencer because he's my age and I think he has good ideas for the city," she said.

CityBeat's Stacey Recht also gave at least $215 to the Spencer campaign, according to campaign finance reports. But it's not just the alternative media that like Spencer.

James Jackson, president of Cincinnati.com (the online division of The Cincinnati Enquirer) gave Spencer the maximum $1,000 contribution.

Why he supports light rail

Spencer also has one of the most interesting campaign expenditures. A $28 parking ticket appeared on his campaign finance report filed last week.

Tune in, turn on, turn out

Hamilton County Board of Elections Director Julie Stautberg predicted a 43.8 percent countywide turnout in a memo to Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell Friday.

She admits that's optimistic.

"I would always rather be high," Stautberg said. "If I say there's going to be a low turnout, people say, 'See, even the Board of Elections doesn't think this election is worth voting in.'"

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com