Update: Inside the Recall

Update: Inside the Recall

On Mar. 9, Mission Viejo resident Dale Tyler was back at city hall on behalf of proponents, resubmitting the proposed petition to recall Councilman Lance MacLean. This is the second try at getting approval of the petition. City Clerk Karen Hamman has 10 days to approve the document or send it back again for corrections.

Proponents of the recall first submitted the petition for approval on Feb. 23. Hamman took nine days to reject it, stating in a Mar. 4 letter to Tyler that the use of bold type isn’t permitted. Punctuation and a typo were also on Hamman’s list of corrections.

On Mar. 9, OC Register reporter Lindsey Baguio posted an online update about Tyler’s resubmitting the petition. The article can be found at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/petition-maclean-recall-2329844-proposed-city

 In her report, Baguio included a sentence from MacLean’s rebuttal to the petition’s eight-point grounds for removing him from office. MacLean wrote, "Despite these unwarranted personal attacks, I have been a consistent advocate for residents in lowering taxes, safer neighborhoods, schools and parks."

The grounds for recall are:

  • Violence when you were arrested by Police for assault and battery on a co-worker.
  • Anger and incivility when you ordered a Mission Viejo councilwoman to “SHUT UP” in closed session.
  • Hatred and disrespect when you called residents racists and elitists in a LA Times interview.
  • Self-dealing when you voted to double your council salary during our current economic crisis.
  • Greed and corrupt priorities when you voted to give yourself lifetime medical benefits at taxpayer expense after only 12 years of part-time council service.
    Financial mismanagement when you voted for budget items leading to $11.8 million in deficit spending.
  • A tax increase when you authored and promoted Measure K, which was rejected by Mission Viejo voters.
  • False promises when you voted to increase housing density leading to more traffic congestion.

Contrary to MacLean’s comment about “unwarranted personal attacks,” all eight points are based on public records. Five of the eight can be found in MacLean’s voting record, including his attempt to raise taxes with Measure K. Prior to his writing the ballot statement in favor of the tax, MacLean and Councilwoman Trish Kelley conversed on record during a council meeting about how they would spend money provided by Measure K. The remaining recall grounds are also based on public records, including MacLean’s angry remarks caught on tape during a closed-session council meeting. His words were also published by the LA Times when he called residents elitists and racists.

As for MacLean’s claim regarding safety, it’s interesting he should bring that up. He abruptly left his job in December 2007 when UCI said it would investigate his attack on a co-worker during a campus concert. UCI apparently deems its campus a safer place without MacLean.

Supporters of the recall will start gathering signatures as soon as Hamman approves the petition. If she takes the full 10 days, signature-gathering could begin March 19.