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Group organizes recall effort against Gordon
Anti-illegal-immigration activists will attempt to recall Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon for policies they say are too soft on those who enter the country illegally. A group calling itself American Citizens United, which includes members of organizations involved in recent anti-illegal-immigrant protests, filed paperwork Wednesday to create a political-action committee.
"Phil Gordon has operated the Mayor's Office with malfeasance in refusing to execute his sworn oath of office," the group said in its filing. It accused Gordon of "disregarding the will of Phoenix citizens by refusing to allow the Phoenix Police Department to impartially enforce laws against violators of laws on illegal immigration and human smuggling." The group will discuss the recall at a press conference this morning at City Hall. Anna Gaines, the group's chairwoman, said she and her supporters are angry that Phoenix police do not have unconditional authority to call Immigrations and Customs Enforcement when they encounter a suspected illegal immigrant. "The main issue is that he has been dividing the community and he has not supported the enforcement of immigration laws," said Gaines, a member of You Don't Speak For Me, a group of Hispanic activists opposed to illegal immigration.
Group members said they sought only to remove Gordon from office and had no preference on who should replace him if they were successful. Gordon was re-elected in September with 77 percent of the vote. An opinion poll this week from Arizona State University showed that of voters familiar with Gordon, 65 percent have a favorable view of him. "A few on the very fringe want to promote their extremist agenda for Phoenix," Gordon said in a statement. "That agenda was overwhelmingly rejected just eight months ago, and it will be rejected again."
To recall the mayor, the activists must gather 23,751 valid signatures. The number of signatures is equal to a quarter of the votes cast in the previous mayoral election. The group has 120 days from the time they file their formal campaign paperwork, said Mary Jo Slunder, Phoenix elections coordinator.
Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney who helped develop revisions to the Phoenix police immigration policy, called the claims in the recall petition "specious and baseless." "I think are designed more for publicity than they are to make any kind of substantive point," Charlton said. "I don't know that even the individuals who filed this can genuinely believe that the mayor has aided and abetted human-smuggling. That strikes me as disingenuous."
Keith LeFebvre, a member of the American Freedom Riders motorcycle club, announced the recall effort Tuesday on a radio show hosted by former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth. The Freedom Riders led counterprotests last year against immigrant advocate Salvador Reza at M.D. Pruitt's Home Furnishings in Phoenix, where a dispute had erupted over the use of sheriff's deputies to arrest day laborers accused of trespassing. This year, the motorcycle club moved its protests to the Macehualli Work Center, Reza's base of operations.
Gaines, a retired educator who emigrated from Mexico in her youth, said the recall was part of an overall effort to stop an "invasion" of illegal immigrants from Mexico. "The Mexican government has been wanting to reconquer this area of the Southwest for many years, and now they are obtaining what they wanted to do without a war," Gaines said. "The mayor is aiding and abetting illegal aliens being here and having rights that they are not entitled to. And Americans are suffering from that."
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/04/30/20080430gordonrecall0501.html
Reach the reporter at casey.newton@arizonarepublic.com.
Anti-illegal-immigration activists will attempt to recall Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon for policies they say are too soft on those who enter the country illegally. A group calling itself American Citizens United, which includes members of organizations involved in recent anti-illegal-immigrant protests, filed paperwork Wednesday to create a political-action committee.
"Phil Gordon has operated the Mayor's Office with malfeasance in refusing to execute his sworn oath of office," the group said in its filing. It accused Gordon of "disregarding the will of Phoenix citizens by refusing to allow the Phoenix Police Department to impartially enforce laws against violators of laws on illegal immigration and human smuggling." The group will discuss the recall at a press conference this morning at City Hall. Anna Gaines, the group's chairwoman, said she and her supporters are angry that Phoenix police do not have unconditional authority to call Immigrations and Customs Enforcement when they encounter a suspected illegal immigrant. "The main issue is that he has been dividing the community and he has not supported the enforcement of immigration laws," said Gaines, a member of You Don't Speak For Me, a group of Hispanic activists opposed to illegal immigration.
Group members said they sought only to remove Gordon from office and had no preference on who should replace him if they were successful. Gordon was re-elected in September with 77 percent of the vote. An opinion poll this week from Arizona State University showed that of voters familiar with Gordon, 65 percent have a favorable view of him. "A few on the very fringe want to promote their extremist agenda for Phoenix," Gordon said in a statement. "That agenda was overwhelmingly rejected just eight months ago, and it will be rejected again."
To recall the mayor, the activists must gather 23,751 valid signatures. The number of signatures is equal to a quarter of the votes cast in the previous mayoral election. The group has 120 days from the time they file their formal campaign paperwork, said Mary Jo Slunder, Phoenix elections coordinator.
Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney who helped develop revisions to the Phoenix police immigration policy, called the claims in the recall petition "specious and baseless." "I think are designed more for publicity than they are to make any kind of substantive point," Charlton said. "I don't know that even the individuals who filed this can genuinely believe that the mayor has aided and abetted human-smuggling. That strikes me as disingenuous."
Keith LeFebvre, a member of the American Freedom Riders motorcycle club, announced the recall effort Tuesday on a radio show hosted by former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth. The Freedom Riders led counterprotests last year against immigrant advocate Salvador Reza at M.D. Pruitt's Home Furnishings in Phoenix, where a dispute had erupted over the use of sheriff's deputies to arrest day laborers accused of trespassing. This year, the motorcycle club moved its protests to the Macehualli Work Center, Reza's base of operations.
Gaines, a retired educator who emigrated from Mexico in her youth, said the recall was part of an overall effort to stop an "invasion" of illegal immigrants from Mexico. "The Mexican government has been wanting to reconquer this area of the Southwest for many years, and now they are obtaining what they wanted to do without a war," Gaines said. "The mayor is aiding and abetting illegal aliens being here and having rights that they are not entitled to. And Americans are suffering from that."
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/04/30/20080430gordonrecall0501.html
Reach the reporter at casey.newton@arizonarepublic.com.
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