Hindsight experts can say that our recall election’s outcome was a foregone conclusion – that the GOP’s top candidate, Larry Elder, was a polarizing demagogue and that Democrats have an overwhelming majority. However, “...a few weeks ago the polls were tied. Then we seriously mobilized, and we pushed Newsom ahead by 15 points. That’s a huge shift in a short time. We have real power when we stand up and fight.”

That said, all our phonebanking, textbanking and canvassing couldn’t stop the WASTE OF OVER A QUARTER OF A BILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS (now estimated at +$300 million) on a GOP temper tantrum when we have sick people to treat, homeless people to house, school children to help after a year of COVID restrictions, and fire victims who are starting from scratch.

We need to update our recall laws immediately. CA’s recall madness, where this recent election day was also the deadline for a failed recall attempt against a county supervisor, doesn’t happen across the nation. For example, no matter how many signatures a petition to recall Ron DeSantis collects – his state doesn’t allow recalls. In fact, only 20 states do, and of those, eight require a serious act of malfeasance or a violation of their oath of office. We don’t. What we do have is a very low signature requirement, and a “simultaneous”-style recall,” where the lieutenant governor is ignored, and an outside candidate can take over the state with a minority of voters. These conditions make recalls the easiest pathway for the GOP, whose policies and values are completely at odds with most California voters, to “rig the system and create a low turnout election where they have a better chance” to grab the governor’s office. Thanks to the best intentions of former Gov. Hiram Johnson in 1911 – every governor since 1960 has faced at least one recall attempt.

But change is coming, if we fight for it. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber stated: “This system is over 100 years old. We haven’t revised it in 100 years.” SB-660, a bill that bans paying petition circulators for each signature they obtain for recall efforts, state and local initiatives, just passed and is waiting for Newsom’s signature. This will eliminate at least one incentive to deceive voters to collect more signatures. 

Reform of the recall process is popular. UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies published a poll this week that found three out of four voters support recall elections but agree significant reform is needed. Let’s make this happen!

Tell your state legislators that we want recall election reforms!

Continue reading “The California recall is broken.” →

No matter how many signatures a petition to recall Ron DeSantis collects, the Florida governor can breathe easy – his state doesn’t allow for recalls. In fact, only 20 states have such mechanisms, and of those, eight require a serious act of malfeasance or a violation of their oath of office. CA is one that doesn’t, which makes it the easiest pathway for the GOP, whose policies and values are completely at odds with most California voters, to “rig the system and create a low turnout election where they have a better chance” to grab the governor’s office through the weird mathematics of a “simultaneous recall election.”

Action #1 – Treat this recall election as a civic emergency that it is!

• Share this toolkit with all parts of your social media. (More videos at bottom of this post)
• Send it to anyone who asks your opinion on the recall!
• Use this app to send a message to your contacts. Outreachcircle.com – Code SEF710
• Don’t assume that everyone understands the gravity of this issue!

The toolkit contains graphics and sample texts that you can add to your postings on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in both English and Spanish.

• Aug. 30 is the LAST day to register for a mail ballot for the Sept. 14 election.
• You can still register and vote on Sept. 14th at an in-person location.
• Remind anyone with a criminal history who’s not currently serving a felony sentence in county, state, or federal prison, that their voting rights have been restored. Information here.

Scan through the “Official Voter Information Guide.” GOP candidates are running on platforms that include their normal mix: “starving” government, removing environmental protections, destroying public schools, rolling back gun safety laws,”freedom” from public health requirements, removing sanctuary protections, inserting religion into state business, prioritizing forced-birth policies, and the promoting antiquated solutions regarding wildfires and water issues. A debate among three of them revealed contempt for women, lack of support for a minimum wage, and at least one multimillionaire candidate who, like Trump, has to be sued to pay his bills.

If any of these unqualified candidates replaces Newsom through January 2, 2023, our state, whose economy ranks as the fifth largest in the world, will suffer a year of chaos and wasted time during a time of massive global warming and pandemic issues. A GOP governor could issue executive orders to rollback environmental protections, criminal justice reform and the social safety net, and reshape the 2022-23 budget with line item vetoes. Hundreds of bills may be vetoed by an incoming governor. And though he/she wouldn’t get any major bills passed because of a Democratic supermajority in the state legislature, they can make toxic appointments to boards, commissions and the courts, state constitutional offices and U.S. Senate seats, which would change the current balance of power in the United States Senate.

Action #2 – How should I fill in the second question?

Continue reading “The CA Recall Follies – What you can do.” →