At least one candidate for political office is hopping mad at the Nevada Department of Transportation, the usual whipping boy for Pahrump irritations having to do with highway traffic.

Harley Kulkin, a Democratic candidate for the Nevada Assembly, District 36, reported Wednesday that NDOT had run amok, taking down political candidates' campaign signs all along the right-of-way of Highway 160.

Kulkin said he had spoken to NDOT sign removal crews as well as to Town Manager Dave Richards about the issue.

Richards made the request to remove the campaign signs from the corner of Basin Avenue and Highway 160, Kulkin said.

But Richards had made his request only for the small area underneath the large marquee sign the town uses to announce civic activities at the Bob Ruud Community Center and adjacent Petrack Park.

But as soon as NDOT gained a beachhead there, the state agency apparently went wild, taking down signs up and down the highway right-of-way.

NDOT Deputy Director Rudy Malfabon in Las Vegas was contacted but didn't know anything about the issue. He said he'd look into it.

Malfabon later verified that Richards had made the initial request for the sign removal. He said Nevada Revised Statutes prohibit signs of any kind in the right-of-way of state highways, which includes Highway 160 and Highway 372.

NDOT's Web site at Nevadadot.com, under "Reports and Publications," states that no political signs can be placed within state highway rights-of-way.

"As you conduct your campaign for public office please keep in mind that it is illegal to place signs within the right-of-way of state highways," the site advises.

"State highways include not only the well-numbered rural routes, but many country roads and city streets. The provisions of Nevada Revised Statute 405.020, 405.030 and 405.110 and Nevada Administrative Code 410.440 prevent the placement of any advertising signs, including political signs within state highway right of way or roads which are owned or controlled by the Nevada Department of Transportation.

"In addition, the federal and state "Highway Beautification Acts" limit the placement of any sign on private property if that sign is located within 660 feet of a National Highway System route. NHS routes include all freeways, interstate, expressways, most U.S. routes and some state routes including several city streets.

The site goes on to say: "NDOT has previously published several notices regarding the erection of political signs. This Web (site) is intended to summarize NDOT's enforcement of the laws on political signs and supplements the more detailed regulation. The term political sign includes any temporary or portable display or device advertising for or against a candidate for public office or a political party or political point of view."

It seems NDOT was "in the process of doing it (the sign removal) anyway," according to Joe Martinez, assistant district engineer for maintenance, who was among those interviewed.

The signs will be kept in storage for 30 days at the Mountain Springs Maintenance Station, said Malfabon. Candidates must pick them up there, he said.

Martinez explained the signs cause "a visibility problem" in blocking the views of motorists on state highways. Removing them was "normal procedure," Martinez said, adding that politicians weren't being targeted.

"We're removing them everywhere" along the two state highways in Pahrump, he said.