Look around and you’ll see homemade Ron Paul for President signs around Erie on utility poles, on railroad overpasses and just about anywhere else they’ll get noticed.

Just this week, I’ve seen the signs at 38th and Peach Streets, at 12th Street and Greengarden Road, on 12th Street just east of Liberty Street, and on the State Street railroad overpass, facing both the north and south lanes.

Somebody’s busy.

Paul, a Pittsburgh native, is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and represents the 14th District of Texas, a pretty fair stretch of land along the southern Gulf Coast.

Paul voted against the Iraq War and the Patriot Act. To learn more about Paul’s record, visit www.ronpaul2008.com.

Paul has virtually no chance of winning the Republican nomination for president, but don’t dismiss him out of hand. He’s drawing crowds during the campaign, and raising enough money to get some attention. He’s raised $3 million nationwide, including $39,516 in Pennsylvania — $3,100 of which comes from Erie.

Of course, Paul’s national fundraising total pales in comparison to the $62.5 million that Democrat Hillary Clinton and the $43.5 million that Republican Mitt Romney have raised nationally so far. They are the top fundraisers for their respective parties.

But say this much for Paul’s supporters: Unless my eyesight’s failing, I haven’t seen any professional or homemade signs yet in the Erie region for any of the other major candidates. Of course, our primary date is among the last in the nation — April 22.

So maybe there’s no rush.

— John Guerriero