Krekorian Recall Misses on Signatures but Launches Movement

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HERE’S WHAT I KNOW--A petition to recall Council Member Paul Krekorian (photo above) missed the target of more than 18,000 signatures needed to be included on the November election ballot but activists say the effort has launched a wave of activism throughout the city. 

“We knew going into this that it would be extremely difficult to amass the more than 18,000 signatures needed to get the recall on the ballot,” says a spokesperson for the recall group. “We did not raise campaign funds; we did not hire lobbyists. This was strictly a grassroots endeavor.” 

The spokesperson continues, “We can assure Mr. Krekorian that substantially more than the four people he so arrogantly conjectured want him out of office. We absolutely know that the signatures for his recall are out there; we are simply understaffed and unable to collect them.” 

“The sole reason the required amount of signatures were not met was simple. We just did not have enough bodies to collect them,” shares the spokesperson. “We did learn from the experience. We believe everyone should have the experience of circulating a petition at some point in their lives. You get a real take on people. We learned more about Krekorian and have more proof of his special interests than when we started. It was difficult when we started to keep the statement of reasons to 300 words or less.”

Although the recall will not appear on the ballot, the spokesperson for the group shares that the effort was a success. “We helped other council districts with the recall process, connecting with other council districts, which allowed them to organize their efforts. We reminded so many that they had to right to file, that we have the choice to succumb to the unacceptable corruption or to do something. We shared a great deal of evidence so many people’s experiences, all of which had come to the same conclusion.” 

What’s next for the group? “We are organizing for a bigger plan of action,” shares the spokesperson. There’s nothing in the Election Code that prevents us from filing another one. This was a good trial and run and we are just getting started.” 

 

(Beth Cone Kramer is a Los Angeles writer and a columnist for CityWatch.)

-cw