Recall Update

On June 13, embattled Councilman Lance MacLean again faced off with a volunteer who was gathering signatures to recall him. MacLean approached the petitioner in front of a drugstore. The petitioner later said he initially wasn’t sure it was MacLean, particularly when MacLean pretended to support the recall:

Volunteer: “Have you had a chance to sign the petition to recall Councilman MacLean?”
MacLean: “No. What’s he done?
Volunteer: “He doubled his council salary, and he wants lifetime healthcare benefits.”
MacLean: “He sounds like a real asshole. What else?”
Volunteer: “He favors housing on the golf course.”
MacLean: “Are you paid to get signatures?”
Volunteer: “No, I live near the Casta golf course, and I want it keep the golf course.”
MacLean: “Well, you wait right here while I go into the store.”

During the time MacLean was talking to the volunteer, residents who were walking by stood in back of MacLean and alerted the volunteer. They mouthed “That’s MacLean.” After MacLean went into the store, the volunteer began talking with others nearby, and they decided to move a safe distance from the storefront while MacLean was there.

Minutes later, MacLean came out with a store employee while others watched. Then, two men in dark suits stood and talked with MacLean as two police cars drove up. Those nearby concluded the police cars had nothing to do with the recall. However, for MacLean to go into the store and involve its employees in city politics has everything to do with MacLean. Six weeks ago, Councilwoman Trish Kelley did the same thing – using her clout as a council member to intimidate a store manager by directing him to tell the recall group to leave. The manager told her the store was neutral on politics.

MacLean and half a dozen people supporting him have had no effect on anyone who is circulating the recall petition. MacLean’s supporters, including former council member Sherri Butterfield, have thrown fits and complained to store managers. Activists who stay at the stores to observe the process say MacLean has the same five or six backers acting up and complaining.

The volunteer who encountered MacLean on June 13 said, “MacLean and his group seem obsessed that we’re all being paid. They can’t imagine that so many people are giving their time. MacLean’s supporters are the ones who are being paid, including Trish Kelley and the city manager, and MacLean wants the lifetime healthcare benefits he voted for.”

Recall workers are counting and verifying signatures, checking them against the Registrar of Voters’ CD. Workers will determine that at least 9,350 valid ones have been collected before ending the signature drive. Several of the recall volunteers also worked on the land-use initiative, and they say it’s essential to pre-validate before turning in signatures. The land-use initiative will appear on the June 2010 California Primary.

The signature drive will continue until volunteers make sure they have more than enough signatures to qualify MacLean’s recall for the ballot.