Jerry Kern recall, Oceanside, California, 2009
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A vote about whether to recall Oceanside, California City Councilman Jerry Kern will take place on December 8, 2009.[1] Kern is serving his first term as a member of the Oceanside City Council.
Led by Oceanside resident Jim Sullivan, the recall effort says that the first-term councilman has put developers' interests above those of residents, insulted people at public meetings and championed heavy industry, among other things.[2]
Kern's supporters say the recall is a sham recall run by aggressive labor unions who are opposed to Kern's belt-tightening moves in the city that are needed because of the city's falling tax revenues.
Rick Kratcoski, Chuck Lowery and Rex Martin are running for the seat on the council that will become vacant should Kern be recalled.[3][4]
The cost of holding the special recall election will be about $500,000.[5] The election will be conducted by election officials for San Diego County.
For the recall
The primary momentum behind the recall effort is led by the Oceanside firefighters and police unions. They collected $46,625 in the first six months of 2009 to pay for circulators to collect the 11,389 signatures needed to force the recall vote.[1]
The official name of the committee the unions are supporting is Citizens to Recall Kern for Fair and Balanced Government. This union-backed group spent more than $114,000 in cash contributions or services through October 24, 2009. $81,016, or 72% of that total, came from the Oceanside Firefighters Association.[6]
The firefighters union is antagonistic to Kern because he and fellow councilmen Rocky Chavez met with fire officials to suggest that the city's ambulance service be privatized.[1][7]
A New York labor union, Unite Here International, has provided services worth about $4,000 to the recall effort. The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council contributed about $2,000.[6]
Against the recall
"Citizens Against the Recall Effort" is leading the charge against the recall effort. Attorney David Shore is a leader of the anti-recall group. Shore is also a former president of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce.[8]
Those who support Kern say:
- "From our perspective, this whole recall is a sham effort".[8]
- The recall effort is "a public-safety-union-driven attempt" to take control of the City Council.[8]
- Recall opponents are unhappy "with the idea that the city is forced to spend a half-million dollars (on a special election) when Councilman Kern is up for re-election" in November 2009.
- "This recall effort was prompted by two public safety unions because Councilmember Jerry Kern questioned a pension system that is unsustainable. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association, the City Managers Association, and the chief actuary of the California Publics Employees Retirement System have substantiated this fact. In spite of this, these unions bankrolled the recall effort to the tune of $46,000 and continue to pour tens of thousands of dollars into this upcoming election in order to dictate the terms of their contract." [9]
Path to the ballot
The City Clerk approved the recall petition in early February 2009, and proponents need signatures from more than 11,389 registered Oceanside voters by July 23, 2009 to force an election.[10]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 San Diego Union-Tribune, "Oceanside councilman's recall vote is scheduled for Dec. 8", August 13, 2009
- ↑ North County Times: "OCEANSIDE: Kern answers recall proponents," Jan. 22, 2009
- ↑ North County Times, "Three candidates likely to appear on recall ballot", September 22, 2009
- ↑ Candidate list
- ↑ North County Times, "$500,000 a bargain for recall of Kern"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 North County Times, "Reports show thousands spent on Kern recall campaign", October 30, 2009
- ↑ San Diego Union Tribune, "Fire Dept. cuts seen as a step backward", October 18, 2009
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 San Diego Union-Tribune, "Supporters defend Kern against recall", August 9, 2009
- ↑ North County Times, "FORUM: Labor contract behind recall effort", October 28, 2009
- ↑ NCTimes.com: "Kern foes can start circulating recall petition," February 16, 2009
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